The Wanderer
by Darth Malleus
Summary: She remembers little of her past life, all she remembers was running, collapsing and dying. She was found by a wandering Samurai, taught in his ways, and received a sword. She is Naruto Uzumaki, a wanderer forced onto a greater stage.
1. Prologue

_**Naruto**_

_**The Wanderer**_

_**Summary:**_ She remembers little of her past life, all she remembers was running, collapsing and dying. She was found by a wandering Samurai, taught the ways of both Shinobi and Samurai, and received a sword. She is Naruto Uzumaki, a wanderer forced onto a greater stage.

_**Category:**_ Action/Drama/Adventure

_**Rating:**_ T

_**Disclaimer:**_ Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto, the characters and original plot completely belong to him. I'm just burrowing his characters for a while... what the hell I'm borrowing his characters, reimagining them and tossing them into an alternate story of my choosing... that's what fanfiction is all about.

_**Author's Note: **_I know this is a 'What the Hell am I thinking moment' with so many other stories incomplete, but I just finished reading the latest chapters of a few good female Naruto stories, called _Who Dares, Wins_ and _A Right to Live._ You could say that they inspired me to write this little piece. This may be a short story, an alternate to the wave arc, or I might make it bigger, I might even make a small series of stories, sort of depends.

Yes Naruto is a girl in this one. I've finally succumbed to the idea after reading a few good stories on the subject. She will also be a few years older than in canon, let's say that when the rest of the rookie 9 are twelve Naruto will be sixteen. She will be strong, but not unstoppable, and will have a different base of abilities than in canon, remember that she will have been trained by a wandering Samurai here and will be part of a network of wanderers.

So anyway, here... we... go...

* * *

She remembered very little of her life from before. What little she did remember was blurred and inconclusive, but she knew in the deepest parts of her soul that wherever she was it was a place so vile, so cruel and unforgiving that to her young four year old eyes she just needed to get away, needed to escape from wherever she was.

She remembered vague images of leaving a building, of wandering through streets, of jumping into a wagon and waiting until it was well on its way in the beginning of its journey before sneaking out again when it stopped. She remembered at some point wandering aimlessly down a dirt track road, huge trees on either side, finally collapsing through hunger, thirst, fatigue, or maybe a combination of all three.

Her next memories were of waking up in a bed at an inn, and meeting her future sensei for the first time. He was so huge to her back then, an image she would never forget. A man dressed in a simple blue kimono, black hair tied back in a ponytail, pale skin and sharp features, a pair of thin rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. A sheathed katana was placed to the side, dark red scabbard with a dull silver, rounded guard and a hilt covered in dark red and black bandages, two long strands of each colour trailing the ground around him as he sat on the other side of the small room.

He looked over at her after a moment, and managed a small smile. He had introduced himself as a wandering Samurai, a title she didn't know the meaning off at the time, and that he had found her by the side of the road, starved, dehydrated and near death. He had carried her to a nearby village, found a doctor and nursed her back to health, a process which took nearly a week and a half.

He introduced himself as Jin, no last name, no familiar ties, just Jin, a Ronin Samurai turned wanderer of the Elemental Nations. He continued to nurse her back to health and once she was healthy again he gave her a choice. He would take her to the nearest town and find some place for her to stay, or she could come with him and learn the ways of the Samurai.

For her the choice was obvious.

She said yes to become his apprentice.

At the time his act of kindness which saved her life was the kindest anyone had been to her, all she remembered from before were harsh, unforgiving, icy glares and cruelty. She had memories of one old man who had been kind to her, who had visited her, but that was the only good memory she had from before.

He took her under his wing, and began training her in the ways of his people almost immediately. For nearly twelve years she had travelled with him, trained and learned from him, and received her sword from him, one of twelve sacred blades which he had in his possession, and he only gave them out to those students he considered worthy. She still remembered that day on her twelfth birthday, ready for another day of training, when instead of a wooden sword he had presented her with her own katana and wished her a happy birthday. It was the happiest day of her life to know that such a katana belonged to her, an actual sword, like the one her master wielded, belonged to her.

He told her its name and said it was hers. Its name was _Sentō Tsurugi_, and he had explained that it was not an ordinary blade, that it had special abilities and properties, but she needed to learn how to wield it on her own, needed to learn how to speak to it. How many nights since then had she spoken to her blade before she went to sleep, and when she woke up in the morning? It was far too many to keep track off.

She had also met his other apprentices, and learned that the blade she had received was the last free blade of the twelve, other people, men and women, mostly around teenage years, barely a few years older than her were in possession of the other eleven. Of the twelve she had been the only one to remain by his side during the majority of her training. Some of these people she had become friends with, others she had a fierce rivalry and competition with, but at the core they were all family, from similar backgrounds and taken under the wing of the same person.

That meant that when one was in trouble any others in the area would come to their aide. Jin had explained this on the rare occasion that the twelve of them were together. Eight boys and four girls including her, all orphans with nowhere to go, all who had seen the worst of humanity, brought together, taught how to survive, made into wandering warriors.

She remained with him until her sixteenth birthday, and it was then that he told her that he had nothing else to teach her. That she needed to leave his protection. That she needed to spread her wings and learn from her own experiences. She had been unsure. Almost terrified because she still did not know the abilities of her katana, yet he told her this was something all children needed to do in order to grow.

So the day after her sixteenth birthday she had parted ways with her sensei, and began to spread her wings and shape her own destiny. With nothing but the orange kimono on her back, the katana on her hip and the wide brimmed straw hat over her blonde locks she began to make her own way in the world.

She walked until she reached the edge of a cliff, a shear fall before her, and looked up in time to see the setting sun blazing out in all of its colourful glory. As she looked upon the setting sun she mused how it was symbolic, marking a new chapter in her life. The night before she had been scared and frightened on leaving her sensei's protection, but now, on her own with just the road in front of her she felt a different emotion.

Excitement...

She grinned.

It felt good, very good.

* * *

The mists hid everything. It was so thick that a person couldn't see beyond a few meters in front of them. It was a normal occurrence around this island, well out in the middle of the ocean between the Lands of Fire and Water. The Land of Waves was a true island nation, protected from war for hundreds of years because of the lack of a strategic position and the natural barricade of the body of water between her and the mainland.

The only way to access this little island chain was by ferry, and for a few years now those ferries had stopped running between the mainland and Nami. Rumours spread like the plague among this area of the continent, mainly of a corporate tycoon trying to make himself his own country and cutting off all communication with the small island nation from the outside world to make it a reality.

There was only one way to cross the waters now, and that was by a privately chartered boat, in most cases simply a small, flimsy fishing vessel like the one she was seated on at this exact moment. The fisherman was silent and nervous as he moved the vessel carefully and cautiously through the thick mists, not uttering a word, too scared to do so.

His passenger looked up at him, fair features half hidden by her wide brimmed straw hat. He noticed the orange kimono she wore, an unusual colour, and the katana at her hip and immediately made the connection that she was a travelling Samurai. He knew little else about her. He had just dropped off Tazuna the bridge builder on the shore of the mainland and was about to prepare for the crossing back when she had appeared right beside him, studying his fishing boat critically as he squeaked in surprise and jumped back in sudden fear.

She then threw him a small bundle of Ryo notes and asked to be taken across the ocean towards the Land of Waves. He was too scared to say no, so silently agreed and allowed her aboard. It was only then that he noticed that she wasn't like any of Gato's usual cronies, for one she was a woman, a young woman, in her teens with long lush blonde curls of hair which stretched to the small of her back, slightly tanned skin, whisker marks on her cheeks and cold, calculating azure blue eyes.

She would be considered a beauty in almost any culture.

"E-Excuse me miss?" the boatsman asked quietly.

"Hmm?" she returned, letting him know that he had her attention.

"I've been meaning to ask, why you want to come here?" he asked, gaining a little courage with each passing second. "We're in the middle of some trouble right now. A madman is squeezing the island dry and killing anyone who gets in his way. It's not really the safest place for a young lady like you."

"You're right," she agreed with a small smile. "It isn't the safest place for a young lady to go, but I'm no ordinary young lady."

The fisherman gulped, just noticing the hilt of another weapon edging from the small of the young woman's back, a large butchers knife which although it was sheathed the middle aged man guessed that it was as sharp and deadly as any katana. "Then why do you come if you know the danger?"

"You think that I am one of this Gato's goons, do you?" she asked in a monotone. Her personality was difficult for the older man to interpret, cold and calculating, yet with the slightest edge of mirth in her voice every now and then. If anything it made her all the more dangerous in his eyes.

"No, no off course not," the fisherman replied, feeling sweat on his brow as he continued to steer the boat towards the rocky outcroppings of his home. "I'm curious is all? We rarely get tourists these days, least of all those as well armed as you."

"You really want to reason why I am travelling in this direction," she asked, looking up to the boatman with those cold blue eyes. He gulped before nodding. "I am a traveller. I wish to travel the length and breadth of the elemental nations. My destination at the moment is the Land of Water, I was hoping for a ferry from the Lands of Fire to Wave then jump onto another one to Water."

The boatman didn't know how to reply to that, well he knew, but he was too scared to do so. He would have insisted that if the ferries between the Lands of Fire and Wave were inoperable then it was more than likely in reverse as well. He kept his mouth shut though, and the rest of the journey continued on in a tense silence. Finally they reached the mouth of a small beach and silently the fisherman brought his boat to shore and allowed the young lady out, who thanked him before moving on her way.

* * *

Tsunami walked down the once main street, shopping bag in hand as she surveyed her surroundings. Once, what seemed to be a long time ago the Land of Waves was a blissful paradise, safe from the politics and wars of the mainland and allowed to continue on its way without threat or fear.

That all changed a few years back when Gato and his corporation suddenly bought out all of the main travelling companies which operated between the Land of Waves and her neighbours, effectively isolating the small island nation from the rest of the world. Some of the shipping companies had capitulated without a fuss; others didn't and paid the ultimate price for it. She remembered the leaders of a few companies suddenly dying in accidents, their ships sinking without any real cause and the banks suddenly putting them in debt when they were once clean.

Within a year Gato and his organisation had effectively seized all of the shipping between the small country and the surrounding continent, plunging it into a recession unheard of in recent history. Those who openly challenged him, like her late husband, were killed in public as a message to any other would be dissenters and slowly the Land of Waves had deteriorated into a poverty stricken state, people were starving, there wasn't enough food to go around, and all the while that bastard was laughing from his palace, eating all the food and drinking all the drink his black heart desired.

The only chance at rejuvenating this dying country was the bridge her father was building, and even that hope dwindled by the day. With each day Gato's small army of mercenaries and gangsters threatened and bribed his workers into resigning from the project, and those who didn't surrender would suddenly disappear in the dead of night.

It all seemed hopeless, even if her father returned with a small unit of Shinobi to protect the bridge. There were rumours that the tycoon had acquired the services of several powerful mercenary Shinobi as collateral for that purpose. What could she or anyone in this country do now to such a threat? She wished with all that she had that she could help her father, but what could she do?

"Hey girly," Tsunami froze in place, looking slightly over her shoulder in time to see three of Gato's thugs, surrounding and peering over a young girl. She was not from around here, that was painfully obvious with her orange kimono, wide brimmed straw hat which enshrouded her face and katana sheathed at her side. "You do know that weapons aren't allowed here right?"

If the girl was intimidated by the trio of thugs she didn't show it, all Tsunami saw was a calm facade, yet her hand was already on the hilt of her katana, though she seemed to radiate an aura of peaceful cooperation. "Oh, I apologise, but I am not giving up my swords... as a Samurai it would be considered shameful to give them up without anything in return."

A truly predatory gaze came upon the three as they looked the girl over, young, yet well formed. The leader of the group grinned maliciously as he raised his hand, obviously aiming for the young girl's chest. "Oh, and what would you like in return."

There was a moment of silence as the other two seemed to understand their leader's strategy, and with perverted grins on their faces surrounded the young teenager. If she was intimidated by this method she showed no outward sign, instead a small smirk played across her face as she looked upon her would be aggressors. "Sorry boys, you're not my type."

As one they attempted to grab her, but in a blur of motion she was gone, much to the surprise of her would be rapists. She suddenly appeared behind the leader, swishing her sword before sheathing it in a smooth motion. A second after hearing the click of the guard hitting the end of the blade there was nothing, no sound, and slowly the three bandits looked at themselves, searching for any slices or sword cuts. After a moment the three looked at each other, and grinned nervously.

"You missed girly," the leader hollered in glee.

"Oh," the girl asked as she half turned to face them, a little smirk curing up her lips. "Did I?"

The three men laughed, laughter which was cut short by a sudden series of snaps, followed by their pants pooling on the ground. The three bandits looked down upon the tattered remains of their clothes in wide eyed shock, barely registering that they had their belts had been cut with expert precision. The half naked thugs were already gaining attention from the civilians in the street, mothers covered the eyes of their children, young women looked at the bandits for a brief second before covering their faces in mirth. Tsunami even felt a small smile curving up her lips, the first in quite a while.

"You bitch," the leader shouted, hearing the thud as one of his men tried to move but fell flat on his face.

The girl snorted, "Don't you have any decency? There are children here."

Their faces were as red as could possibly be before the leader pulled up his ruined pants and rushed out of the street, followed by his two associates. He turned his head as he ran and shouted over his shoulder. "We'll remember this!"

"I'm sure it will be difficult to forget," the girl murmured just loud enough for Tsunami to hear before she turned around and continued on her way. Ignoring the sudden hushed whispers from the few dozen surrounding people on who she was and if she had a death wish. Chances were that by evening the whole town will be talking about her.

Tsunami looked at the girls retreating back, before deciding to follow her. The woman had never seen this girl before, and her looks practically screamed that she was not native to these islands, blonde hair and bluish eyes were a rarity here. There was also the fact that she had just embarrassed three of Gato's hired thugs in broad daylight with a simple swing of her sword, Tsunami wasn't able to make out the girls movements she had been so fast.

The girl continued her journey through the small town for a few minutes before finding a rundown cafe. She took a seat on one of the worn chairs, leaning her sword and straw hat against the chair on the opposite end and waited for the waiter to arrive. It took a few minutes and when the man came out he looked as surprised as anyone else. Business had been hit badly when Gato took over all of the shipping, and the only thing they could gain was the meagre bounties from the few farms on the island. Most shops in the town had long since closed down, their windows boarded and doors sealed, only a select few were still open.

The girl asked for a sandwich and a glass of fruit juice as Tsunami took a table at the other side of the cafe, taking out a magazine and trying to look inconspicuous. When the food arrived she proceeded to inhale it barely a second after it was presented to her. Within a minute and a half of her being given the small snack she had completely eaten it. But when the waiter returned with the bill a problem arose. The girl searched through her pockets, coming up with nothing and offering an apologetic look at the disgruntled man.

"I kind of used up all of my money getting here," she said with a sheepish grin, causing Tsunami to look at the girl a little in surprise and disbelief. She just now realised that she had no money?

The man eyed her for a moment, "Then how do you expect to pay for it?"

"Hmm," the girl hummed thoughtfully in reply as she stood up, pulled back the sleeves of her kimono and looking over at the slightly surprised man. "I suppose I can work it off. Do you have anything that needs to be done?"

Tsunami frowned as she watched the waiter lead the apologetic Samurai girl into the back, and after a moment decided to follow, keeping at a distant pace. He led the blonde to the back of the shop, where there was a stack of logs and a base of a cut down tree. The man explained what he was wanted her to do.

"I need more wood for the ovens, little stores as there is. Cut twenty of these and I'll consider it you're payment." He explained, almost daring her to protest. The girl didn't, she smiled and reached for her katana, drawing it from the sheath. Tsunami was no expert in swords, but she could tell that the weapon was quality as the girl bid the man to take a step back and fell into a basic sword-fighting stance, placing a small log of wood onto the base.

She took a breath, lifting the sword over her head and brought it down upon the unsuspecting log, cutting it neatly in two with a single swing. The waiter raised his brow, impressed, and remained behind to watch as the girl repeated the process not twenty times like they agreed, but fifty times before thanking the man for his understanding and moving on her way.

Tsunami chose that moment to act. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that this girl was exactly who she was looking for to protect her family from Gato and his thugs. She was definitely a skilled swordswoman at least. "Excuse me."

The girl stopped and turned to face her, looking her up and down inquisitively before smiling. "Finally decided to say hello?"

Tsunami blinked, not sure what the girl was talking about.

"You've been following me ever since I embarrassed those three morons on the road," she explained, placing her straw hat over her head and sheathing her katana in a smooth motion. Tsunami looked stunned, then embarrassed that she had been caught.

"I'm sorry," she said with a slight bow. "I did not mean to spy."

The girl raised her hand with a disarming smile. "Don't worry about it, water under the bridge as they say. So how can I help you?"

Tsunami raised her eyes at the girl, indecision clouding her dark eyes as they found herself wandering what the hell she was even doing. She was going to ask this girl, a complete stranger who didn't even look out of her teens, to put her life on the line to protect her family, people she didn't know from people who were probably out of her league.

"First," she found herself saying, ignoring the girls befuddled look and her own indecision. "Would you please listen to my story? Then we'll see where we go from there."

The girl hesitated for a moment, and then slowly nodded her head.

* * *

Tsunami led the girl to her home, and told her everything. She told the girl a step by step account on what happened through the young mothers eyes. How the business tycoon known as Gato had slowly but methodically taken over the shipping surrounding the small country, ferries, major fisheries, trading vessels and convoys. How her partner had tried to stand up to him when he began taking over the government of the small island and how he had died. She explained to the girl the crippling poverty of the island, of the orphans who lost their parents to the tycoon's wrath and the loss of hope in the general population not long afterwards.

She then explained about her father, who seemed to be the last man in the country with fight still in him, and his dream to build a bridge between them and the mainland, to break the businessman's hold on the island and to bring hope back to their small country. At the moment her father, and those who worked for him were the last hope this land had left. She told the girl her fears that Gato would definitely plan to stop her father at all costs, even end his life.

The young woman listened to her with rapt attention, never interrupting her as she went through her story. When Tsunami was finished there was silence, plain silence as the girl seemed to think, crossing her arms, eyes closed and her chin resting against her chest. After a moment of tense silence the girl opened her eyes and looked at the bridge builder's daughter intently.

"I have a question," she said at last.

Tsunami nodded, "Please."

"What makes you think I'm not one of these thugs who Gato's employed, or that I travelled here for the purpose of joining him?" she asked it casually enough, noticing the look of wide eyed shock and slight tinge of fear on the older woman's face.

After a moment of tense silence the woman gulped before asking a simple question with a soft voice, "Are you?"

She offered Tsunami a mischievous grin, "Nope, but you need to be more careful in future. Chances are I could have been one of his employed dogs, and then you would be in deep trouble."

Tsunami could only stare at the girl as she rose from her chair, stretching her arms with a groan as her muscles popped. "I'll do it."

Tsunami blinked.

"I'll protect you and your family." The girl said again, giving her a grin before it morphed into a frown. "I can't stand people like him, what is the point of all this, some sick demented quest to massage his ego or what."

Tsunami couldn't believe it, the girl had accepted, knowing the danger, the insurmountable odds arrayed against her if she did accept she did so with a smile. It took a moment for her vocal cords to start working again. "We need to discuss payment. I can't give much but whatever you want I will find a way to give."

The girl seemed to think for a moment, "Three square meals a day and a roof over my head. How does that sound?"

"That's all?"

"That's all," the girl nodded. "I will protect you and your family with my life, I give you my word and when I give my word I never break it, it's my way."

Tsunami watched as the girl walked to where her straw hat and katana were situated, settling the hat over her head and clasping the sword to her belt before turning to the door. "I'll be outside if you need me."

"Wait!"

The girl stopped, turning her head slightly to look at her new employer, Tsunami hesitated for a moment, before asking a question she should have asked from the beginning. "I don't even know you're name."

The girl smiled, "My name is Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki."


	2. Into the Fire

_**Chapter 1**_

_**Into the Fire**_

"You're men failed."

"Hmm, so it would seem."

Gatou was a small man with an appearance both gruff and slightly overweight, signs of a man who lived the good life, who probably never had to work a day in his life. His attire seemed more likely to be worn to conduct a business meeting rather than conversing with the hired help, a smart business suit, shining leather shoes, white buttoned shirt and tie.

Zabuza watched him carefully, seasoned eyes checking every twitch of a muscle on not just him but his two Samurai guards as well. The two men flanking him seemed more like common thugs with second hand katana. They didn't hold themselves like Samurai. In fact if a proper Samurai even saw them he would probably kill them for their insolence. He considered they would last no longer than three seconds the moment he raised his Kubikiribōchō, five if they were lucky. That is if he even needed to raise his sword, Haku could probably kill them with their own weapons.

"Listen to me Zabuza," the little mouse snarled angrily. "I paid you to kill the bridge builder. If you're not up to the job then perhaps I should find someone more capable."

A flash of motion and the businessman was starring at the tip of his Kubikiribōchō. All meter and a half of the carver's knife was held almost idly in his right hand as if it were no heavier than a paperweight. "Don't push your luck Gatou."

"I'm just worried is all," the businessman kept himself calm, which was quite a feat. "I expected a former Swordsman of the Mist to be more competent than this."

Zabuza chuckled before leaning forward, bringing the sword within a millimetre of Gatou's nose. "This is only the first move of a long game. The foe is not some simpleton you can simply assassinate or buy off."

Gatou backed off a few steps. His men's hands were on the hilts of their katana, ready to draw at a moment's notice. When the businessman replied it was with a decent attempt at remaining calm. "Then what are you going to do about him?"

"I will deal with it personally," Zabuza said with a trace of mirth as he rose to his feet, his carvers knife returned to the leather straps on his back as he began to walk right past Gatou and his associates. He made it to the door before stopping in his tracks and turning around. "Haku, we're leaving."

The masked Ninja's words permeated the air from right behind Gatou and his enforcers, making them jump back in surprise, "Yes, Zabuza-sama."

The two of them left the room with silent, unheard steps, which was impressive considering how heavy the Kubikiribōchō sheathed to the swordsman's back was. Gatou waited until the door closed with a click before rounding on his subordinates, face a mask of irritation and borderline rage.

"Idiots, morons, what am I paying you for!"

"I apologise sir," the man on the left stated, Gatou realised that he didn't know the man's name, and he also realised that he didn't really care. "He came out of nowhere."

The businessman ground his teeth till it almost became an audible scraping sound. "I don't give a damn. The two of you are supposed to be former gods damned Samurai, aren't you supposed to be trained to be able to sense a Shinobi or something!"

Haku and Zabuza continued down the corridor, but they heard the outburst loud and clear. It appeared the businessman forgot that timber walls were pretty thin. "If those two are really Samurai then the standards in the Land of Iron and the west have really dropped."

"Mm," Haku responded with a nod.

"So the Demon Brothers were defeated huh?" he asked.

"Yes," Haku replied. "And if the information is to be trusted they were defeated quickly."

"Is there anything on who they sent to protect the old geezer?"

"According to description he is described as a tall male, uniform of an elite Jonin, messy silver hair, pale skin, headband over his left eye, was able to defeat the brothers in almost five seconds. Also a small team of what looks like Genin level Shinobi."

"Messy silver hair, headband over left eye, pale..." Zabuza tapped his chin with his index finger for a moment before a smug look just barely creased the bandages covering the lower half of his face. "Ah, so they sent him did they? This will be a true test."

* * *

It had been three days since Tsunami had 'hired' Naruto to be her family's protector, and since then things had been quiet, almost normal. The daughter of the bridge builder realised with some apprehension that she had expected bad things to kick off against her family straight away and when there were three days of quiet and peace it was a surprise.

She had kept an eye on Naruto during these first few days, and had to admit that she was amazed by the girl's work ethic, and downright impressed by her skills. She rose with the sun, early in the morning, and trained until midday where she would come in for lunch with Tsunami and her son, Inari, after that she would meditate until three and practice her sword fighting until dinner. The training schedule was impressive enough, but Tsunami was more impressed and a little terrified when she noticed that while practising her sword fighting kata she was standing, not on land, but on the waters of the lake behind her home.

She had found to some relief that Inari was beginning to show an interest in the girl who seemed, in his eyes, to have invited herself into their house and promise to protect them. He had been so withdrawn and depressed since Kaiza's death that she feared she would lose him forever. Now, while still cynical and withdrawn, she found him spying on the girl as she trained relentlessly from his bedroom window.

As a guest Tsunami found nothing wrong with the girl. She was polite, civil and responsible, cleaning up after herself and keeping herself respectable. She was kind, caring, compassionate, and she had seen the girl help an injured kitten she found on the side of the road when they went out to do some additional shopping. If Tsunami could find anything to complain about from their tenant it was mainly that she had the stomach of a bottomless pit, but with her training regime that was to be expected.

It was now, on the third day, as Tsunami finished making lunch and went out to find their new protector that she caught a glance of her in the very middle of the calm lake, once again utilising that water walking exercise she had only thought Shinobi were capable off. She had taken off her kimono to the hip, tying it around her waist to show a simple gray strapped vest as she practised with her katana, perspiration was flowing from her as she continued to practise, dropping from her brow and exposed skin in droplets from each sudden movement, even her vest seemed to be covered in a fresh sheen of sweat.

"Naruto," she called from the beach, gaining the Samurai's attention. "Lunch is ready!"

"Coming," she called back, abandoning her training in mid-swing as she dashed across the still water of the lake, and coming to a stop the second her bare feet touched the smooth white sand. Tsunami took the moment to look the girl over. Her breathing was heavy, exposed skin was glistening from perspiration and her vest was damp.

"You train far too hard, Naruto-san," she said with a motherly sigh as she handed her a towel she had taken with her from the kitchen.

Naruto grinned as she took it and wiped the perspiration from her brow. She was winded, tired, exhausted, but she seemed content, happy, as if pushing herself past her limits was an enjoyable hobby for her. "If I stop now my brothers and sisters will leave me behind, Tsunami, and stop with the honorific stuff. I hate formalities."

"I couldn't possibly," she tried to protest feebly, before raising her brow upon seeing the young woman's annoyed look.

"Sure you can, it's easy," the blonde said as she pointed at herself. "Just call me Naruto, Na-ru-to!"

She sighed, though not without a little mirth. The girl had been slowly witling her down on using honorific's since she was invited into the house and she was getting tired of arguing with her over the subject. Her energy when it came to things she didn't like was boundless, and that included honorifics. "Alright Naruto... I'll stop using honorific's."

"At last," she said in triumph, a small smile gracing her features. "It only took three days!"

"I suppose you can just call me Tsunami in return then, huh?" the bridge builder's daughter asked with a little mirth.

Naruto seemed to think about it for a moment before she smirked, "That's better."

"Lunch is getting cold," Tsunami sighed as she took the now damp towel from the blonde.

Lunch passed by a little tensely, with her son in the room and eating quietly. Naruto caught onto the kid's demeanour the moment she entered the kitchen, and kept quiet for most of the lunch. Tsunami on the other hand found this sudden behaviour from her son promising. He actually came down on his own to have lunch at the table, and not take it up to his room.

It was halfway through the meal that Inari spoke, "Why are you here?"

Naruto was in the middle of eating a small portion of fish fillet, stopping in mid-chew and looking down at the kid for a long moment. She was surprised, if only slightly, that Inari had talked, let alone asked her a question. She took a few more hasty chews before gulping down her food. "I came because your mother asked me too."

"Why," the kid asked, looking up at her angrily. It wasn't necessarily aimed at her, but seemingly at the world as a whole. "Why, you can't win against Gato. He has a whole army!"

Naruto snorted as she picked up another slice of fillet with her chopsticks and ate it in a single bite, "An army of untrained, undisciplined thugs. A small unit of well trained Shinobi, or Samurai, could wipe the floor with them and then some."

"You don't know that," her son shouted angrily, slamming his little hands against the table, startling his mother. "You can't win against him, its completely hopeless... all you do is bring these stupid promises and ideals when it's already over!"

"It's not over," Naruto said, mirth replaced by an angry and serous facade as she glared at Inari. "It's never over, as long as there is someone with some fight left in them, then there is a chance that good will succeed. As my sensei always said, evil men prevail when good men do nothing."

"You're sensei is a fool," Inari retorted angrily.

"No, you are the fool, and you are a coward," Naruto replied with a cold, indifferent voice. Inari flinched as if he were struck. Tsunami could sense it as well. The air around the room seemed to become colder. "My sensei saved my life when I was dying. Do you even know what it's like to die? He took me, a four year old orphan, under his wing and taught me how to defend myself, how to survive. I will never forget that kindness, and I will not allow anyone, least of all some spoiled punk, tell me that the man who saved my life and gave me meaning again was a fool."

Inari looked scared, actually scared by the girl before him. After a moment the girl sighed and the temperature began to rise again. "I apologise for my outburst. Have a little faith kid, for once you give up you are lost, now and forever. I think I'll eat my lunch outside."

She rose, taking her plate of half eaten food and glass of fruit juice with her as she left the kitchen. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence before Inari finished and left for his room again. Tsunami didn't know what to do. She wanted to side with her son, who had watched his foster-father, her husband, die, however that one sentence Naruto spoke flashed through her mind.

"_Do you even know what it's like to die?"_

Tsunami didn't, neither did Inari.

They had no idea and no right.

* * *

Naruto sighed as she sat on the porch of the house, mind wandering as she continued to slowly eat her meal. She scowled at herself, losing her temper like that to a little kid. Her sensei would have scolded her if he had seen that little outburst, but she couldn't help herself. It was one thing for the little punk to question her ability and skill. She could take that. It was quite another thing to call her sensei something like a fool.

That got her blood boiling.

Still, she thought as she finished her meal and set the empty plate on the ground, clapping her hands together and silently thanking the powers that be for the food. The thought had crossed her mind, and had been festering for the few days since she had started to live in this house. What could have happened to the little guy to make him so cynical, so without hope? What could have happened to him to give him such a demeanour?

Then she remembered the story Tsunami had told her when they first met, the one about her late husband and Inari's foster-father. What was his name? Kaien, Kalen... Kaiza. That was the name. She remembered Tsunami explain to her about how Inari and Kaiza were so close.

Naruto groaned, suddenly wanting to hit her head against something hard. That would explain the kid's demeanour. Losing someone he looked up to, respected and loved like a father would do something like that to a child. The blonde saw that now.

It still didn't excuse him from disrespecting her sensei like that though. Naruto may not have been so quick to draw her sword for every little misdeed, but she still had her pride and she still had the pride of her sensei resting on her shoulders. If the kid was a Samurai she would have smacked him with the flat of her blade.

She wasn't going to apologise.

Naruto stood up, reaching out for her sword. Maybe she would do a little more training on the lake to clear her head. Some people would meditate or talk to someone to clear their thoughts, but she was more in line for working herself into the ground through training and practise. It was the best kind of meditation in her mind.

She walked down the steps from the porch to the ground and was about to take the final step when she stopped mid-step. Naruto frowned as she looked around, eyes suddenly alert as she sensed something in the air, something which made it a few degrees colder than it was before. Some untrained souls would call it a sudden chill in the weather, but she knew different. She felt the fine hairs on the back of her neck prickle, her body tense up, becoming more alert.

Some would say Samurai didn't utilise chakra, but that was a lie too, Samurai trained themselves in chakra usage almost as much as Shinobi did. They just utilised different and less flashy techniques as compared to their Shinobi cousins. Naruto took a deep breath, and released her chakra, sending small strains of her life energy into the world to search for the sudden epicentre of this sudden heaviness in the air.

After a few moments Naruto snarled in annoyance. She needed to get higher, needed to get above all of the obstacles in the way of her senses. The girl opened her eyes and looked up, searching for something higher than the two storey houses surrounding her. A telegraph pole came to her eyes. She smiled and with a sudden surge of chakra jumped high into the air, landing on the very top of the pylon and coming down to a crouch, eyes focused in the general direction where this strange chakra was coming from.

Her eyes registered a sudden increase in mist, not on the shore, but deeper inland. She once again fanned out her senses, sending wisps of her chakra in that direction to see if she could find the source of this sudden heaviness and coldness in the air. She hated using the term killing intent. It was so overused, but it was the best way to describe the sudden atmosphere.

There were two huge chakra sources in that direction, both would be considered elite class, but there were also three much smaller sources and one tiny spark half hidden amongst the stronger presences. It felt like a Shinobi Jōnin with a Genin team, protecting someone, and an assassin of at least Jōnin level standing against them. There was also another, Chūnin level she guessed, hidden not far away from the main concentration, a backup perhaps.

Naruto couldn't help herself.

She grinned.

"Now that's more like it."

* * *

She went to Inari first, but found that he had locked himself into his room and wasn't looking to come out anytime soon. She then decided to search for Naruto, and she didn't have to go far to find her. She had just left the front door of her house, looking around the surrounding land and water to find her with no luck.

Then she looked up and found her, perched on the telephone line leading her house, eyes locked on something in the distance. Tsunami had become accustomed to the young woman's sense of balance, so wasn't as surprised of her balancing herself perfectly on a telephone line whilst crouched, though she knew she should be.

"Naruto," she called, ignoring her intuition to talk to her about Inari because of how intently she was watching something in the distance. "What do you see?"

"A fight." the Samurai replied. Not five seconds after she said it there was a tremendous shockwave which seemed to shake the very ground they were standing on, startling Tsunami but seemingly barely registering to Naruto, "A fight between Shinobi."

"What do we do?" Tsunami asked, noticing that the young Samurai reach into her kimono, pulling out a ribbon and was tying her long locks of deep blonde hair into a ponytail. "Chances are that's my father returning, and he probably decided to pay for a lesser ranked mission that is needed because of our lack of money."

"I'll deal with it," Naruto replied, looking down at her employer with serious, cold eyes. "Go inside, and don't come out until I tell you the password... flash?"

"Thunder," she replied with a dry gulp, just noticing her protector's small smile as she disappeared into the house.

"Good memory," Naruto said, smile still in place, before jumping high into the air, landing on the rooftop of the adjacent house and rushing across its length to the next one, then the next one with speed.

Finally the edge of the forest came into view and with a sudden pounce she landed on the nearest large tree branch, hopping from branch to branch as she went further into the forest and towards the commotion within. She continued on course, unperturbed by the surrounding obstacle course which was the Land of Waves wild forest, taking a deep breath and lowering her chakra so that she could concentrate on the here and now.

She was more than half way towards her objective when she felt it, not in chakra or any other supernatural warning but in a sudden shrill squeal as something sharp pierced the foliage. She spun in midair, placing her feet onto the trunk of a nearby tree and launching herself from her original path, just in time to see several shimmering objects flash past her and imbed themselves into the tree that she was once in front off.

Startled that she had been snuck up on she looked down to see that the weapons imbedded in the tree were not kunai or shuriken like she had expected, but senbon, small needle like blades meant more for surgical strikes than any real damage. She landed on the trunk of another tree in a crouch, chakra pooling at her feet expertly to keep her in place as she reached for the hilt of her still sheathed katana.

More senbon fell upon her before her katana was even a quarter of the way unsheathed, and she was forced to abandon her attempt and use her momentum to jump away from the tree trunk. She tried to draw her katana again in midair, but a sudden shrill snap of more blades wiping through the air forced her to abandon her attempt once again.

She landed on the ground and skidded to a halt, once again attempting to unsheathe her weapon, but once again another trio of senbon fell upon her. Naruto dived to the side, noticing that one of the small needle-like blades had been diverted for such a purpose. Her eyes widened before her free hand she wasn't using for her springboard flashed forward, only just catching the small weapon between her index and middle fingers, barely a few millimetres from her right eyeball. She lost balance, falling in a heap and skidding to a halt.

Naruto cursed as she came back up to a knee, feeling rather than hearing the sudden flash of movement behind her, followed by a slender hand grabbing her by the hair and a needle pressed against her jugular. It wasn't hard enough to pierce her skin, but enough to let her know it was there. With a snarl she slacked her grip on her katana hilt, eyes widened slightly in surprise by her attacker's suddenness.

He was definitely a Shinobi, only they were so strong in the shadows.

"You're very skilled, compared to most Samurai I've seen," the voice of her attacker struck her softly. It was a soft voice, and she couldn't tell if it belonged to a boy or a girl. "Most of them think they're katana is enough to protect them, but you've trained a little in chakra control."

She managed a smile, despite the situation. "Sensei always taught us to never completely rely on our katana, while they are a Samurai's greatest strength they are also our greatest weakness."

"You're sensei was right," the boy... girl... unknown replied. "It still doesn't seem like enough to protect you however. Give up this quest to protect the bridge builder and his family. It will only end in pain and death."

Naruto grinned, uncaring as to how her assailant knew her goal, hand gripping onto the hilt of her secondary weapon. "If I did that I would never be able to look at myself in the mirror ever again. I am a Samurai. My teacher has always drilled the Bushido code of honour and kinship into us, into me, and my personal code forbids me from breaking a promise I've made."

"That is unfortunate," her attacker replied, with a hint of sorrow in his... or her tone. "You sound like a rare form of Samurai."

"Nah," she replied after a moment of thought, drawing her secondary blade silently and slowly from the small of her back. "It's just because Shinobi rule this side of the continent. The only _Samurai_ you've seen around here are wannabes wielding a katana like a clumsy child. They aren't worthy of being called Samurai, if anything they're title should be cannon-fodder or grunt... maybe even useless wannabe."

"Perhaps," the Shinobi allowed. There was a moment of silence, which Naruto used to draw another few inches from her secondary blade. Her eyes widened in surprise when the Shinobi spoke again in a grave tone, senbon pressing against her neck with enough force to pierce the skin and draw blood. "Could you please throw away that other blade once you draw it?"

Naruto growled lowly before drawing her secondary weapon fully and throwing it across the clearing, landing with a clank as it pierced the ground. It looked like an oversized butchers knife, but almost twice as long, black in colour with a contrasting white serrated edge, with no guard and a hilt wrapped in white cloth."Damn, I was hoping you wouldn't notice that."

"Give us Shinobi some credit," her assailant chided lightly.

Naruto sighed, raising her hands in the air in apparent surrender. "I suppose you're right about that."

It happened in a flash. There was a click, and a blade seemed to flash into her right hand. Naruto acted quickly, bringing the blade down upon the senbon held against her neck and batting it away. She then rolled away from the Shinobi, coming up in a crouch with her third weapon held in front of her. It was a western combat knife with a curved silver blade and a knuckleduster attached to the black hilt, which her fingers had been put through

She then extended her left hand, and an identical combat knife seemed to slide from her wrist into her hand. She held both weapons in a reverse grip, falling into a two handed combatant sword fighting style, waiting for her opponent to recover to make the next move. He... or she, had recovered enough to jump back from her and draw a handful of senbon into each hand.

"Impressive," the Shinobi allowed, eyeing her through the slit holes of his... or her, white mask. Naruto looked her opponent up and down, seeing a dull kimono like attire of gray with white. A white mask was placed over the assailant's face, with spiralling symbols around the right side and the mark of the Hidden Mist village etched into the masks forehead. She could make out long black hair, done up in a bun with two long strands framing the face.

"Are you a boy or a girl," Naruto asked innocently enough as she got to her feet and fell into a two handed stance, bringing the combat knife in her right hand into a forward grip. "I'm just curious."

Her opponent remained silent as he starred at her. Naruto found that just as infuriating, considering she couldn't even see his face thanks to that white mask. Finally the Shinobi spoke with a shrug and a flurry of senbon needles. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I would, actually," Naruto replied, bringing her combat knives up in time to block the needles aimed directly for her, seeing the spark as the needles stabbed against the liquid silver of her own blades as they were deflected. The barrage made the young Samurai back up a few steps, but she didn't weaken her posture and she didn't back down. "Come on you can do better than that!"

Her opponent shrugged, hands coming together to make a flurry of barely recognisable hand seals, "As you wish."

There was a swish, and Naruto jumped to the side in a roll just in time to see a mass of glistening blades strike and imbed themselves into the ground where she was once crouched. She came back up in a crouch, looking over at the place where she once was to see a small mass of crystal clear senbon needles dug into the earth, only they weren't sendon. It took the Samurai a moment to realise that the weapons were sculptured from solid ice.

She whistled in appreciation, throwing one of her combat knives at her opponent while she was in mid-dive. "Now that is impressive. You're an ice wielder then?"

"Yes," her opponent replied, dodging the thrown knife with pinpoint accuracy before bringing his... or her free hand up again to make a small flurry of one handed hand signs. More needles of ice fell upon Naruto from the canopy, and the blonde was forced to dive once again to the side to avoid them, but not entirely. She winced as at least two pierced her kimono and into her right leg.

"Fuck," she cursed in pain.

"Not very ladylike," her opponent pointed out with a little mirth.

"And you would be so calm with a blade of ice stuck in your leg?" she asked heatedly as she pulled it out with a small spurt of blood which stained her orange kimono. "I love this colour too."

The assassin was silent for a moment, "Red?"

"Orange," she replied coldly. "Why would I like the colour of my own blood? I am not a masochist."

"I never said you were," the Shinobi replied, sounding a little perturbed as another few senbon needles appeared in his right hand.

She threw her second knife, forcing the Shinobi to dive to the side, all of the time she needed to draw her katana from its sheathe and charge her opponent, blade ready for a diagonal strike. Immediately her masked foe backpedalled, twisting his body to just barely miss her first slash. A senbon snapped into his hands next, and with that the assassin began to either dodge the Samurai's strikes or use his needle to redirect her slashes and stabs.

It became a dance of attack and defence, both opponents dancing around each other, spinning on their heel, striking and defending against counterstrokes. The seconds slowly ticked by, with both opponents continuing their dance of death and destruction, and with each moment the fighting commenced Naruto began to smile.

Finally the dance was broken when her opponent redirecting a sweeping arc and used a simple kick to diaphragm, forcing the wind from her lungs and forcing her to stagger back. Naruto recovered quickly, once again falling into a defensive stance as her opponent backed away another few steps. She could tell that he was breathing heavily, chest heaving.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you're not built for close range fighting," she said with a small smile as she stepped forward, only to see him take another step back, not from fear, but from necessity. He needed to gain distance from her to gain an advantage, and she wouldn't give him that advantage.

She closed the gap, and just registered the widening of her assailants eyes behind his mask before she channelled chakra into the blade of her katana, bringing it over her head and with a howl of exertion brought it down. The Shinobi barely managed to sidestep the strike. There was a sharp howl, following by a crashing sound. There was chakra in that strike.

He saw with surprise that she had overextended herself badly with the strike and took full advantage. Grabbing her outstretched hand and delivering an open handed strike to her chin, dazing her before slamming her to the ground in a toss. Her sword flew from her grasp as the air was forced from her lungs.

"You overextended yourself," the assassin said flatly, senbon now pressed against her slender neck.

There was a groan, followed by a snap, followed by a crash. The assassin took his gaze from her to look at the disturbance, and his eyes widened to the size of saucers. Branches had been cut from their trunks, and the huge tree in the centre had been sliced straight through with a diagonal cut, gravity seemed to do the rest.

"How did you do that?" he asked half in fear and half in fascination. She had used chakra. Was it an extension, utilising chakra to extend the blade... or maybe elemental manipulation? A Samurai shouldn't be able to do that. "You are a different breed of Samurai."

"Heh," she managed with a little mirth. "I still need a lot of work and training. Like you said I overextended myself there."

"I could kill you," the assassin stated simply, a little unnerved to see this girl so close to death yet remaining so calm. The assassin had only met a few Samurai while travelling, but they were all no better than thugs and mercenaries there by the behest of the highest bidder. Why did she seem so different than those which had been seen by the Shinobi, not some little mercenary looking for a little money, but someone who was here to protect a few strong willed and brave individuals looking to struggle against the rule of a tyrannical businessman not by fighting him but by undermining him? "I could end your life here and now. Does that not bother you?"

"But you won't," she replied in answer, her azure eyes catching and holding her opponents darker orbs with an intensity he had never seen before. "If you really wanted to kill me you would've done it at least three times already... god I never thought I was so unprepared to fight a Shinobi."

There was an explosion in the distance, catching the attention of both combatants, followed by a cacophony of crashing noises, of objects snapping and being dislodged. Naruto suddenly found herself being grabbed by her collar and dragged from the approaching flood by the Shinobi as he jumped high with a chakra propelled leap. The Shinobi landed on a branch of one of the thickest and strongest trees, dropping his Samurai opponent on the branch.

"There goes my weapons," Naruto murmured with a groan. "It's going to take all day to find them... I don't suppose I could ask for your... figures."

The Shinobi was gone, simply vanishing into the shadows, leaving her stuck on a branch with no alternative than to wait until the waters subside. Chances are she wouldn't be able to find all of her weapons, but she would at least he able to find her katana. The bond she had with the weapon told her that it had become lodged between two recently fallen tree trunks.

It took a few minutes for the waters to recede enough for Naruto to get down safely, and another few minutes before she found her katana. She found that she was limping, probably hit the tree branch wrong but she pressed onward. What was a Samurai without his or her katana?

It was always easy to find _Sentō Tsurugi. _No matter what happened she never lost it, because she seemed to know instinctively where to find it. Sometimes she wandered if the weapon was really sentient, and she had formed a bond with it, but she would quickly berate herself soon after. She was too old to believe in blades which were more than tools and weapons, her many years speaking with the sword affirmed that to her. If it was sentient it would have answered her by now.

She coughed roughly as she sheathed her weapon, and looked around the tattered remains of the forest, pieces of bark and wood, as well as unearthed stone were scattered across the forest floor, remains of bushes could be seen uprooted thanks to the small tsunami. Naruto found herself frowning despite the pain as she observed the destruction. She was almost in the centre of the island with the closest body of water being a lake.

How could there be a tsunami?

* * *

Haku had made it just in time. The Konoha Shinobi had her master on the ropes and the second she arrived she initiated their backup plan, throwing a duo of senbon needles into Zabuza's neck and forcing him into a state of feigned death. The ice wielder had quickly explained her cover story to the Konoha Jōnin and his small team of Genin, of being a hunter Ninja from Kirigakure who had been in pursuit of the swordsman for many months.

As she explained her well concealed story she took note of the team who had defeated her master. The Jonin she had known immediately, with his relaxed demeanour, long spiky silver hair, Konoha headband worn over his left eye and mask over the lower half of his face. Hatake Kakashi, the legendary Copy Ninja, was the one Zabuza was fighting against.

The Genin team were also interesting. One was a boy with spiky black hair, and the ice wielder could make out the red and white fan symbol of the Uchiha clan. He looked like an Uchiha, from his black hair to his pale skin to his onyx eyes and serious demeanour. The other she recognised as an Inuzuka, the red symbols on his cheeks as well as the dark brown hair and the small battered white puppy perched on his head made his clan origins obvious. The girl of the group was definitely a civilian, with long pink hair and green eyes, no physical resemblance to any of the Hidden Leaf's major Shinobi clans.

There was surprise and shock from the three Genin that Haku had taken down an A-ranked missing Ninja like Zabuza with such little effort, but there was no such surprise in the seasoned Jōnin's gaze. If anything there was a quiet, calm, almost lazy calculation going on in his one visible dark eye. Haku knew he would put two and two together with a little time, time the ice wielder wasn't prepared to give him.

"Now if you'll excuse me I'll take care of the body. Thank you once again for your assistance," Haku stated as the fake Hunter-Ninja lifted the dead weight of the Demon of the Hidden Mist and vanished in a flash of motion, leaving the Konoha unit behind before finding cover.

The ice wielder found a clearing nearly a kilometre away from the battle ground and the village, taking the time to make sure they were nowhere near to where Haku fought the Samurai girl either. The advantage was with the Shinobi in the depths of the forest, but here in a clearing the tide would be in her favour, badly hurt or not.

Haku laid the comatose Zabuza on the ground before reaching for the surgical tools, ready to remove the senbon from his neck. A hand snapped up, grabbing the younger Ninja's slender wrist, making the Demons return to the world of the living known to his subordinate.

"No," Zabuza stated with a snarl, reaching up with his other hand to pull the bandages away from his face, showing his teeth, carved to razors edges. "I'll deal with it myself!"

"As you wish, Zabuza-sama," Haku replied as the ice wielder backed off and watched the leader of the two with a critical eye as he pulled the senbon uncaringly from his neck with a spurt of blood. "You really shouldn't do that. It could make your injuries worse."

"Nothing that I haven't recovered from before," the Demon of the mist growled in response, settling his dark eyes upon the ice wielder. "You took you're damn time Haku."

"I was... delayed," Haku replied with a sigh. "The bridge builder wasn't the only one to hire some protectors. It appears that his daughter has also hired a guard, a Samurai girl."

The Demon chuckled, "Waste of money. There aren't any good Samurai this side of the continent anymore."

"This one was different," Haku replied, noticing the swordsman's hand stop for a moment. "She wasn't some thug wielding a katana like a toy. She has been well trained, she is skilled and she has knowledge of at least basic chakra control. If the positions were reversed she may have defeated me."

"Hmm," Zabuza hummed in thought before looking at his subordinate and partner. "Did you kill her?"

"No," Haku replied simply. He wasn't going to tell his master and sensei that he had not only failed to kill her, but also saved her life in the process. He had no idea why he saved her. There was just something in those eyes when hers locked with his, something so similar. She knew pain.

"Tch, you're too soft Haku." Zabuza stated with a frown before flinching in pain. "Damn that Kakashi and his Sharingan... he knew every move I made before I even made it."

"You will need time to recover, Zabuza-sama," Haku stated with finality. "And next time..."

"Next time," Zabuza confirmed, hand reaching out to grip the hilt of his Kubikiribōchō. "I'll be ready for his Sharingan. You as well Haku, if you meet with that Samurai again you will remove her from the equation."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama."

* * *

To say that Naruto was in a foul mode as she limped towards the house was an understatement. Her jaw ached from the open palmed strike, the wounds on her leg and the light cut on her throat were throbbing and her head still felt a little dizzy from the takedown, might have a slight concussion from that one if the bad headache was any indication. Add that onto the fact that she had lost all of her weapons save for her katana and that included her secondary weapon and those specially made combat knives and she was in a really foul mode.

She had not only been defeated in her first duel against a Shinobi, but also saved by him as well when that freak event of nature just so happened to crash through their fight. She wasn't sure whether her current bad mode was also thanks to that or not, her pride as a Samurai was bruised but she was still alive, still breathing if only just. "I suppose I could thank him for that... then punch him in the face."

She reached the houses steps, just barely registering how quiet it was as she knocked on the door, the password just on the tip of her tongue when the door slammed open, catching her off guard and sending her careening down the steps onto a heap. She growled as three figures rushed from the door, quickly finding her feet despite her injuries and drawing her sword.

A hand slammed into the butt of her weapon, slamming it back into the sheathe with jarring force. Naruto snarled as she looked up in time to see the youthful features of a young boy, pale skin, spiky black hair tied back by a forehead protector with the symbol of the leaf emblazoned on the metal plate and serious onyx eyes. A kunai was in his other hand which was now being thrust right at her.

The other two were surrounding her and moving in from two sides. One was a boy around the same age as the raven haired one with less messy brown hair, red markings on his cheeks and elongated incisors. He aimed a punch for her, which she deflected with a calm open palmed hand and delivering an elbow into his throat. The boy staggered back, gasping from the blow as his hands scrapped at his neck.

The boy in front thrust his kunai forward, and Naruto made a split-second decision by bringing up her forearm, flinching in pain as the knife imbedded itself into her skin, hitting bone. The boys stunned look lasted for a moment as she grabbed the sides of his head with both hands and rammed her forehead against his, seeing stars but knowing she did more damage to him as he flew backwards onto his ass.

She ignored the stars in her eyes and the flurry of pain just in time to block a fist from the third assailant, a girl with emerald green eyes and long pink hair, gripping her overextended fist and sending her to the ground with a toss. With all three of her ambush attackers stunned she pulled the kunai from her forearm with a grimace of pain and a spurt of blood, letting it drop from her fingers as she fell into a crouch and drew her katana in a smooth motion, bringing it up into a basic defensive stance as the three Shinobi got to their feet shakily.

Then she felt it, something in her bad leg gave way, like a snap then an extreme flash of pain. Her leg seemed to become useless and with a cut off cry she fell to a knee, surprise and pain etched into her face as she tried to figure out what the hell just happened. She focused her chakra into herself, and found the problem. Those two senbon needles did more than just pierce her flesh. They weakened one of her tendons, and the fight that followed and the one she was thrust into now must have been too much for it.

Then it hit her like a wave of nausea, she felt tired and weak.

Her mind quickly tried to find a solution as to why this was happening, was there poison in the needles? No, she would have felt it sooner. Then she realised and ground her teeth in a mixture of embarrassment and rage. She had been training continuously for three days straight, only getting enough time to eat and sleep. Then she decides to go off and fight a Chūnin level Shinobi at least, getting her ass kicked in the process, coming back with a slight concussion, and a wrecked knee tendon, in time to fight these three lesser Ninja. Her body must have been at its limit in the middle of that fight from before.

"I think she's hurt," the girl stated with a worried frown.

"We didn't do anything," the brown haired kid exclaimed in annoyance. "She was kicking our asses."

"Speak for yourself dead last," the other boy said with a trace of sadistic mirth, but his eyes were still focused on her as she tried to bring her blade up in a defensive stance and only just managing it.

"Bite me!"

"Was there any poison on that kunai?"

"You think I know about poisons!"

These guys weren't Shinobi, at least not experienced Shinobi. They might have been low level Chūnin, nah, more like Genin, green Genin barely out of whatever training program Shinobi here used to create their soldiers. It made her foul mode from before skyrocket.

"Naruto!"

Besides the situation she managed a small smile when she looked up and saw Tsunami at the top of the porch, a horrified expression on her face at what she was seeing. The young mother bounded down the steps, passed the now confused Genin and was by her side as she stabbed her sword into the ground in an attempt to remain upright.

"My god Naruto, what happened to you!" she said with a wide eyed worried look. "You're all beat up."

She managed a choking laugh, before going into a coughing fit, darkness was encroaching on the edges of her vision, was she blacking out? "I was kind of ambushed in the middle of the forest. A strong Shinobi in a mask surprised me before I could make it to the site. Here was me thinking I was ready for a fight and I get my... ass... kicked."

"Get her into the house now! I'll call the doctor."

"Who is she?" one of the Shinobi asked.

"I'll explain later, just help please!"

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **__I might get some flak for this, but let's have a look at Naruto's experience so far. It'll be zilch when facing against a Shinobi, she's had the training, just none of the experience. I also wanted to make her out as a little brash, cocky and feeling invincible as the youth of any era usually do, and that is what was missing from most stories. Most stories simply put the character through some tough training and bring them out as invincible fighters who immediately defeat their foes. This incident will also be a strong drawing point for the character, where she realises her weaknesses and decides to learn from them and grow._

_**Author's Note 2: **__As for the tidal wave we'll that would be the after effects of Kakashi's fight with Zabuza, remember that last technique he used to knock the guy out of the fight?_

_**Author's Note 3: **__I also wanted to show a typical weakness to warrior classes like the Samurai who rely on swords. A Samurai is only dangerous once the sword is drawn, and considering the Shinobi in Naruto evolved during an era of Samurai then it would be obvious they would know how to fight against one, that was actually shown in the anime when Haku disarmed those two in a moment, though I have my doubts that they are actual Samurai compared to the ones we see later in the Land of Iron, now those are Samurai..._

_**Author's Note 4: **__For those of you worried about The Good Left Undone don't worry I'm not going to shelve it, I've just hit a little stumbling block and have decided to write a different story to get my head back on straight, work is also becoming a little bit of a problem. Anyway let me know what you think... I'm pretty happy with the chapter so far but... also point out any grammar errors or stuff that doesn't seem to make sense, I've taken a quick sweep over the chapter but still..._


	3. Lesson Learned

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Lesson Learned**_

The moment Kakashi Hatake was awake he knew he was missing something, some small but important detail about the events which transpired during that battle with Zabuza. Ignoring the sudden shock of Kiba and Sakura followed by a spat between them about almost seeing what was behind his mask he attempted to rattle his brain to find out the reason for his sudden unease.

He absently noticed that all three of his students were in the room, as well as their client Tazuna and a young woman maybe a few years younger than him, waiting at the door. Then it hit him. It was so simple. Sasuke noticed Kakashi's thoughtful look, also ignoring the argument between Sakura and Kiba. "What's the matter sensei?"

That silenced the other two members of team seven rather quickly. Sakura with her usual fan-girly reply while Kiba rubbed the sore spot on his head where the pink haired girl had decked him, growling murderously to no real effect.

"I have a feeling we have not seen the last of Zabuza," Kakashi replied, gaining confused looks from the Inuzuka and Haruno of the team.

"What do you mean, sensei," Sakura asked. "He's dead, you checked him yourself."

"Two things," Kakashi answered, raising his hand to gain their undivided attention. "The first of which is that hunter teams usually dispose the body of the person they kill right then and there."

"So what?" Sakura asked inquisitively.

"Don't you see," Kakashi continued on. "How did that masked boy dispose of Zabuza's body?"

"How could we know," Sakura continued on with a shrug. "That masked guy took the body with him."

"Exactly," Kakashi replied. "If he wanted proof that he had killed him then he could have just taken his head... and then there was the weapon he used to kill Zabuza."

Sasuke was the first to get it, remembering the weapon used were simple throwing needles, senbon, "No way."

"What are you guys talking about?" Tazuna asked, confused even more than his students.

"It is most likely that Zabuza is alive," Kakashi replied, watching as the bridge builder paled, followed by those of his three Genin and a clueless look from the young woman.

The result was instant, and pretty predictable.

"What the hell do you mean!" Kiba yelled, almost knocking Akamaru off his head.

"Kakashi-sensei, you checked his body and said that he was dead!" Sakura added, just as disbelieving.

"Yeah I did," Kakashi allowed as he thought back. "But that was most likely just a momentary death... a fake death if you will. The needle that hunter used. Unless it hits a vital organ it has a low probability of killing your opponent. It's even an item commonly used by doctors in acupuncture therapy. Hunter Ninja know about the body's structure thoroughly. Putting a person into a momentary state of death is easy for them."

Besides Sasuke the other two still looked a little clueless, so with a sigh Kakashi decided to simplify it a little for them. "Let's look at the facts as we saw them. First he carried away the body of the much heavier Zabuza, and second he used a weapon that has a low probability of killing a target. If these two facts were placed together then it is more than likely that the Hunter was not trying to kill Zabuza, but save him. We cannot ignore that possibility."

"Aren't you thinking too much?" Tazuna asked with a frown. "Hunter Ninja are supposed to kill Missing Ninja."

"No," Kakashi replied as he thought. "With all of the suspicion we need to prepare before it's too late. That is a Shinobi rule. Plus, whether Zabuza is alive or dead there are no assurances that Gato hasn't hired another, stronger Shinobi, to take his place."

"Sensei, what do you mean by preparing before it's too late," Sakura asked curiously. "You can barely move."

"Hehe," Kakashi chuckled, making the young girl pout. "I'm going to be giving you training."

"Training," Sakura asked, frowning. "Sensei, what is a little training going to do? Our enemy is a Ninja that you struggled against even with the Sharingan."

"Sakura," Kakashi said, halting her. "Who saved me while I was struggling? You guys are growing rapidly. But obviously this is just training until I get better. You won't be able to defeat him without me."

"But sensei, if Zabuza is alive then he can come back at any time, so should we really be training?"

"About that, those types of momentary death techniques can put the user out for a while, maybe a week before the body returns to normal." Kakashi replied with a shake of his head. "So we do have time."

"This is gonna be fun," Kiba grinned, excited by the fact that he was going to receive training.

"That's no fun." A young voice said from the door, and everyone in the room looked over to see a young boy.

"What did you say!" Kiba yelled in outrage.

"Inari," Tazuna called happily, watching as the boy removed his shoes and rushed to his grandparent's side. "Where were you?"

"Welcome back grandpa," Inari said as he rushed into an embrace with the old man.

"Inari," the woman, who was undoubtedly his mother, called. "Say hello to these people. They are Ninjas who protected grandpa."

Inari didn't say hello, he just studied them for a long moment, "Mom, these people are going to die."

"What did you say!" Kiba yelled again, angrier this time.

"There's no way you can win against Gato," the boy said with finality.

"You little brat, I'll-" Kiba growled as he got up, only to be restrained by Sakura.

"Why the hell are you getting all riled up by what a little kid says, idiot!"

"Listen here you little punk," the Inuzuka said with a feral growl, ignoring Sakura as he shrugged her off and pointed his thumb to himself. "I am no ordinary Ninja. I am a super Ninja who is going to lay waste to Gato and his thugs. There's no way that a bunch of untrained morons can stand up to us! Got it!"

Inari scoffed at the notion, "That's exactly what that Samurai said, and look what happened to her."

Through Kiba's outrage and Sakura trying to calm him Kakashi looked at the boy critically, noticing a sudden look of guilt on his mothers face.

"If you don't want to die then you should leave."

"Inari," Tazuna called. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to look at the sea from my room," the boy replied as he opened and shut the door behind him angrily.

There was silence for a moment before the Copy-Ninja turned to the woman. "Excuse me miss... may I have your name?"

"Tsunami," she replied.

"Tsunami," Kakashi nodded in greeting. "Who was the Samurai he spoke off?"

"She was a nobody sensei," Kiba growled. "Just another thug, like all Samurai are."

"If I remember correctly that _thug_ managed to beat you pretty good, even with the wounds she had." Sasuke said with a small smirk.

"She got you too asshole!"

That just intrigued Kakashi even more.

"Are we talking about that girl you guys brought in here not long after we arrived," Tazuna asked with a frown as he turned to his daughter. "I thought she was a collapsed traveller."

"I hired her," Tsunami explained as she looked at both her father, Kakashi and the three confused Genin. "I saw her embarrass a few of Gato's thugs on the main street and hired her."

"You hired her," Tazuna asked with a frown, sounding surprisingly sober. "And you're sure she's a Samurai... she looked no older than these three brats!"

Tsunami noticed the three Genin bristle a little at the statement, but ignored them in favour of glaring down her father. "Yes she is a Samurai, and by the way I've seen her train a good one. I decided to try and do something instead of staying at home and cowering."

Kakashi cleared his throat, once again gaining the attention of those in the room. "May I ask who this Samurai is?"

"Her name is Naruto Uzumaki," Tsunami replied.

Kakashi's one visible eye widened, almost to the size of a dinner plate, but it was a fleeting moment and he regained control of his features almost immediately, hiding it behind a cough. The others didn't seem to notice, all except Sasuke who managed to hide a frown at his sensei's sudden change. "What age is she? What does she look like?"

Tsunami frowned, but answered. "She's about sixteen, maybe seventeen years old I'd guess. Long blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and whisker like markings on her cheeks."

Kakashi took a breath, mind moving a mile a minute as he tried to think. He had lost hope in ever finding her, his late sensei's legacy, could it possibly be her?

"Sensei," Sakura asked a little worriedly. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am fine," Kakashi replied, burying his thoughts for the moment and crinkling his eye in a smile. "Where is she now?"

"Two rooms down," Tsunami replied with a broken sigh, the guilt returned to her features. "She was heading in your direction, felt the fight and I told her to go. She was ambushed before she got there, though she was unconscious before I could ask what happened."

"Do you think she was ambushed by the Hunter?" Sasuke asked as he studied Kakashi.

"Most likely," Kakashi replied, deciding to place these newfound hopes to the side for the sake of the here and now. "This new information places more weight on my opinion that Zabuza and that Hunter are working together."

* * *

"Well, well, well, look at you... some big shot assassin you turned out to be." The businessman laughed. "Those Shinobi really cut you down to size, eh Zabuza. I'm starting to wander if you're worth the coin I'm paying for you."

Haku glared as the form of Gato walked through the door, his two Samurai bodyguards in tow. The businessman had a grin on his face as he looked upon the unmoving form of his master, suddenly feeling a lot more confident around him now that he was bedridden and unable to move. The Samurai had similar smirks on their faces, fools.

Zabuza didn't respond, simply lying in bed with his eyes open, looking at the tycoon like the annoyance he really was. His silence angered the businessman, for his lips brushed back into a weak snarl for a moment as he moved even closer. It was soon replaced behind his mask of bravado though. If Gato saw Haku he gave no sign, like the ice wielder was beneath him.

"You really shouldn't ignore me, Zabuza. I wonder how much the Mist Village would pay for me handing you in." Gato said with a growl, hand reaching out to grab onto the master assassin.

It never reached him, for Haku's own hand shot forward, grabbing the fat digits of the portly man and twisting them in an unnatural angle, a simple hold which most fighters could break free from, but not Gato. He cried out in pain as Haku levelled a murderous glare right at him. "Do not touch him with your filthy hands!"

The Samurai were already moving to draw their swords, but in a flash Haku had released the businessman and was standing between them, a hand on each of their drawn swords and redirecting the blades to their throats. The ice wielder noticed the two men's eyes bulge in surprise and sudden fear, and silently scoffed at them, remembering for a brief second the female Samurai he had fought against in the forest.

She had been a more worthy opponent.

"Haku, enough," Zabuza ordered in a light voice, but with a hint of steel.

The ice wielder hesitated for a brief moment, before sighing and releasing the two captives. "Yes, Zabuza-sama, I apologise."

Gato had already made it to the door, his one good hand holding onto the one Haku had immobilised him with. The two Samurai followed him out, trying to look tough in a vain attempt to hide their wounded pride. The businessman snarled at them. "Don't forget, without me you'd be running again and then there would be no one else to cover for you!"

Then he was gone, faster than Haku thought possible. "We should kill him now."

"No," Zabuza stated simply. "Annoying as he is we still need him, at least for the moment."

Haku looked at him for a long moment, before sighing and nodding in understanding. "Yes Zabuza-sama."

"We cannot afford to be so choosy with our work, Haku. If we leave his protection then the hunter-Ninja will be after us again." The swordsman said simply, looking up at the ceiling. "And I am in no condition to move, so for the moment we'll take that fools idiocy and if the time comes I will end him myself. For now we have more pressing matters."

Haku nodded, "The Shinobi."

"Going up against the likes of Kakashi Hatake requires a little more finesse than rushing in, and his little Genin team are more capable than I first thought, though with two of them being the heirs of prominent clans I'm not all that surprised. We will need a strategy when facing against them."

Haku nodded, before frowning in thought.

"You're also thinking about that Samurai you fought?"

The ice wielder hesitated a moment, before nodding.

"Was she really as strong as you say?"

"She fought well, and she's a league above those thugs Gato employs." Haku allowed thoughtfully. "I had the edge of surprise and terrain as advantages, but if she recovers in time, and we meet on the bridge as planned... on open ground, then I may need to use more of my abilities than I am comfortable with."

Haku remembered her demeanour as opposed to those two guards, her lack of fear in the face of death, or her confidence in knowing that the ice wielder would not kill her. Her skills in close range combat, and most of all that technique she used which levelled a small swath of forest, it left her open and she herself admitted that she needed more training but if she could utilise such strength effectively she would be a force to be reckoned with.

"_I could kill you. I could end your life right here and now. Does that not bother you?"_

"_But you won't. If you wanted to kill me you would have done it at least three times already."_

It wasn't from a lack of fear, he remembered now that he saw it in her eyes. It was her confidence that he wasn't going to kill her. Haku had no idea how she knew he wasn't out for her blood, maybe she analysed the entire fight and found that his attacks were meant to slow down, weaken certainly, but none would have been fatal, or maybe it had been that exchange, when their eyes met the ice wielder could swear he felt a spark of electricity between them, like a psychic understanding.

"I think you like her." Haku's head snapped to his master so fast he heard the bone creak, wide eyed in surprise at what his sensei had just said.

"I believe you are wrong." He stated simply. "She is a strong opponent... a worthy opponent who I admit I would like to fight again."

"You do like her." Zabuza murmured, with a flash of understanding, and the ice wielder could swear he was smiling behind the bandages covering the lower half of his face. "She must be a pretty one, for even you to take notice."

"I think I'll leave you to your rest, Zabuza-sama." Haku said suddenly, turning around and walking from the room a little faster than he had intended, ignoring the deep throaty chuckles from his mentor as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

She looked so fragile.

That was the first thought that went through Kakashi's mind as he looked down upon her, eyes glazed over as he studied her face, taking in every detail of the child he was supposed to protect, but couldn't, of the child who had the blood of his sensei and carer coursing through her veins, his sensei's legacy, his sensei's child.

She had his hair, though it was a shade brighter, and she definitely had her mother's face, if one pardoned the whisker markings that adorned her cheeks. Her skin was pale, too pale thanks to the losing battle she had been put through. He checked her over just to be safe, and was relieved to find that the doctor they had called had done his job well. Her right leg was in a caste, snapped tendon, a concussion which warranted a bandage over her head, as well as her left forearm.

She'd been through one hell of a fight.

He still remembered that time when the word went out that she was missing. They had searched for her for months ever since she vanished from the orphanage and the village as a whole almost twelve years ago, Kakashi remembered that time clearly because he was always the first to volunteer to search for her. He remembered the fear and pain that accompanied the thought that he might have failed his sensei more than he already had.

Even when the Hokage had to call off the search Kakashi continued on, searching tirelessly for a further three months afterwards, sometimes leaving without warning for weeks, maybe even months at a time. He eventually had to give up as well, but even after that he kept his ear to the ground, and it was only until a few years later that he gave up searching. The weight of that failure weighed heavily on him.

He felt anger, at himself and others. He was angry at those who his sensei would have asked to look after her if he could, the Third Hokage, Jiraiya of the Sannin and himself. Kakashi knew that his sensei wanted him and them to protect her, to look after her, to make sure that the village saw her as the hero she was, the scroll which sealed away the ultimate weapon of terror and kept it from spilling forth in an orgy of death and destruction.

How disappointed must sensei be with him now. Kakashi had thought that ever since the night she had vanished, and it suffocated him. He had thought her dead, but here she was, sixteen years old, a young woman, quite beautiful for her age.

He reached out with a hand, tracing it up her check and along her brow, watching as it furrowed after a while from his touch but she did not wake. Kakashi looked at her for the longest moment, before turning away and walking from the room.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly as he left. It meant many things, things he may have to say to her himself after a while, but there were other things to attend to now, and she was in no position to listen to him. She probably didn't even know where she came from. She was only four when she disappeared after all.

He would need to send word to Konoha that she was alive and well, though what orders he would receive in reply he was not sure. Would he get orders to bring her back by any means necessary, or a request to give to her personally? Would the Sandaime see fit to dispatch more Shinobi here, or leave it to his judgement?

Time would tell.

* * *

She awoke slowly, opening her eyes to be bombarded by a near blinding light, groaning under the stain Naruto reached up with a hand, shading her sensitive orbs from wherever the light was coming from. She waited a few moments to allow her vision to adapt to the change before opening her azure eyes again to be met with the semi-familiar sight of the room Tsunami had given to her. Slowly she rose into a sitting position, grimacing as the ache of her wounds seemed to return to her all at once, not nearly as bad as before but still painful.

"Ah, you're awake are you?"

She looked over at the door in time to see one of the Shinobi standing on the threshold between the hallway and the room she was lent. It was the feral looking one with messy brown hair and red markings on his cheeks. A small white puppy was perched on his head, studying her with intelligence beyond regular dogs.

Naruto groaned as she rubbed her face with her right hand, wiping away the gum from her eyes. "How long was I out?"

"Two days," the Genin replied with a feral smile. "You were really beat up, had to have the village's local doctor round to have a look at you... I'm no medical expert but I could tell that you were definitely out of any future fight, mild concussion, weakened jaw, bruised ribs and a snapped knee tendon. Honestly I would say I was surprised, but let's face it you Samurai have always been inferior to Shinobi."

Naruto managed a small smirk besides the headache she was feeling, noticing that her head had been bandaged as well as her right forearm, her stomach had been tapped and a caste was on her leg. "I wouldn't get too cocky about that if I were you kid. Even that badly hurt I still managed to kick your ass."

That got the reply she wanted. The boy's teeth ground together, scrapping against each other as his eyes narrowed in annoyance and slight anger. Typical male of that age, everything had to be a pissing contest. "Why you little-"

"Enough," a firm voice called from outside the room, just beyond Naruto's vision considering the little Ninja boy was in the way, but she knew it was Tsunami. "If she has just woken up the last thing I want is to make her injuries worse."

The boy gave off a feral growl, but gave up with an irritated shrug of his shoulders and stormed in the opposite direction, out of sight. Tsunami was next to walk in, a small bowl of water in her hands and a dry towel wrapped around her neck. She caught Naruto's eyes and flashed a tender smile. "Good to see that my protector is awake."

Naruto diverted her eyes from Tsunami, feeling ashamed to look her employer in the face after what had happened. She had thought she was ready for anything the Shinobi world threw at her, and then reality slammed that thought down to earth with jarring force. Naruto bowed her head low, surprising Tsunami slightly. "I apologise for my actions from before... they were thoughtless and callous."

Tsunami blinked, before sighing and walking towards the younger girl's bedside with a shake of her head. "What are you talking about?"

"I was hired to protect you and your family," Naruto replied with a downcast expression, and anger in her blue eyes, anger at herself for her complete and utter failure. "Yet at the first sign of battle I rush headlong into it without sparring a thought for you or your son... worse still I get myself defeated and injured by the Shinobi I fought against. I beg your forgiveness."

Tsunami had placed the bowl on the bedside table, and was in the process of wringing out a wet cloth as she listened to the young Samurai's words.

"If you no longer wish for my services then I will understand," Naruto continued, looking down at her hands as they gripped handfuls of quilt fabric and squeezed.

"Naruto, shut up for a moment will you," Tsunami said simply, without any animosity whatsoever. "Lie down and keep still."

Naruto looked at her for a long moment, before acquiescing with a tired sigh as she lay back in bed, watching as Tsunami placed the damp cloth over her forehead. The young girl restrained a sigh of contentment as the cloth cooled her forehead. It was almost blissful.

"Don't forget that I gave you the command to go forward," Tsunami continued on, ignoring Naruto's questioning look. "Remember what I said before you took off... 'Chances are that's my father returning'. You decided to act on that silent command of mine, so the fault is not your own but mine. I am sorry that I dragged you into this. You're just a child yet I asked you to fight for us against opponents so numerous and strong at the risk of your own life."

Naruto saw the guilt in her benefactor's eyes, and managed a sigh, followed by a smile. "You make it sound like you forced me into it. The decision was mine. I decided to help you and your family, because I believe in what you are trying to do. I was unprepared for the battle I fought, but that will not happen again. I've faced a Shinobi... I got my ass kicked, but now I have a foundation from which I can learn and train. So please don't force me to resign, I won't do it even if you order me too."

Tsunami's dark eyes caught and held unto Naruto's for a long moment, focusing, studying, before she shook her head with a small smile. "I will not allow you to resign, for that would be against your personal code wouldn't it... once you give your word you never break it?"

Naruto looked at Tsunami with slight surprise, but managed a nod of her head. "I apologise Tsunami. From now on I will strive to protect you and your family from any harm. You have my word, on my own blood and my sword you have my word."

Tsunami shook her head, but a small smile crept upon her features. "That's brave of you Naruto, but you're so badly hurt at the moment. Maybe you should leave it to the Shinobi."

"I've been asleep for two days haven't I?" Naruto asked after a moment.

Tsunami hesitated for a moment, before nodding her head.

"Then the most superficial of my wounds should have healed already, and my snapped tendon should be half way recovered. I can probably limp on my own, but I'll need another day before I can walk and another still before I can run." Naruto muttered to herself as she sat up again, ignoring Tsunami's surprised and worried frown as she swivelled to the side of the bed and placed her feet on the cool floor. "Where is my sword?"

"Hold on a moment," Tsunami said as she got up from her seat and moved hesitantly to the cupboard at the other side of the room, opening it and carefully picking up her sheathed katana, turning around and walking towards her slowly and carefully. She handed Naruto the blade, who took it with a firm grip. She smiled as she placed one hand on the guard and the other on the sheath, drawing a few centimetres of liquid silver, seeing her reflection before drawing it fully. Tsunami took a step back, unsure as to what the young woman was about to do.

Without hesitation Naruto brought the blade down with enough force to crack the caste on her bad leg, ignoring Tsunami's worried gasp as a spider web of cracks covered its surface, another blow shattered it into dozens of pieces. Her sensei's training in pressure points really paid off. "Naruto, what are... you... doing?"

Her exclamation was halted as the young girl stood upright, placing some weight on her torn leg. She hissed in pain, before sucking in a deep breath and taking a step forward, wobbling slightly on the leg before putting weight on it to allow the other leg to move forward. She continued this until she reached the far wall, pressing a hand against the smooth wooden surface as she exhaled a harsh breathe.

"How is that possible?" Tsunami asked in half awe.

Naruto managed a weak smirk, "Apparently the family I was descended from was built to last. Sensei did some research into the clan I was descended from, and found that they had long life spans, impressive constitution and the ability to heal at a faster rate than any normal person, for an Uzumaki cuts and bruises could be gone in hours, torn muscles healed in four to five days and even broken ribs and bones healed between a week to a fortnight. We can apparently survive almost anything as long as it isn't immediately fatal. It's also the reason why I have a high metabolism, apparently."

"That... is impressive, Naruto." Tsunami allowed as she walked to the limping Samurai's side and placed an arm around her shoulder, guiding her back to her bed and forcing her to sit down. She remembered the Senior Ninja saying something similar about her clan. "But even so I am not allowing you to overexert yourself. You're staying in bed, and don't worry about the remains of that caste. I'll clean it up."

The young woman looked at the shattered remains of her leg caste, and blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"That you weren't," Tsunami said with a sigh, pulling the blanket over the wounded Samurai and finding herself amazed by how innocent she looked without her attire and weapons, just like any other sixteen year old girl. "But that doesn't matter, get some more rest. I'll make sure no one bothers you okay."

"Thank you," Naruto murmured sleepily, but was suddenly awake again. "What about the Shinobi your old man brought along?"

Tsunami huffed, "Just as I expected from my father, the cheapskate. He told Konoha that it was just a C-rank and they sent the usual unit to cover it, a trio of Genin and a Jōnin. Though the Jōnin is a well known and powerful Shinobi, Copy-nin Kakashi I think his name is."

The name hit a cord, Naruto knew that name, everyone this side of the continent knew that name. "Kakshi Hatake, the Copy-Ninja, is that his name?"

Tsunami blinked at the younger woman, noticing a glimmer of something in her eyes. "Yes, that's his name. Do you know him?"

Naruto nodded her head, a little too eagerly. "He's kind of my role model, one of the strongest Shinobi in the Hidden Leaf, heck maybe one of the strongest non-Kage on the continent. He's said to have mastered over a thousand Jutsu, so powerful even the likes of the Hokage take notice of him. Where is he now?"

Tsunami managed a small smile, feeling a little happy when she realised that the glimmer in the young blonde's eyes was excitement. That at that moment she was acting like any other teenager her age. Could have picked a better choice of role model though, Tsunami had stumbled across that book in his flak jacket, and she had found herself both surprised and a little disappointed in the man. "He's in the room two doors down. Collapsed from chakra exhaustion I believe his students explained. He woke up a day before you did."

That surprised Naruto, for her eyes widened slightly, "Really?"

"Really," Tsunami confirmed with a nod as she stepped out and closed the door. Naruto remained as she was for a moment, looking up at the ceiling with a frown on her face before she fell back against the bed with a huff as it absorbed the impact of her body.

"And here was me thinking he was invincible, another childish dream flushed down the toilet."

* * *

The team had been silent since they sat down to dinner, all three had found themselves at a loss ever since that battle between their sensei and Zabuza beside the lake, where their opponent had fallen to a Hunter Ninja and their sensei had collapsed due to chakra exhaustion soon after. He was awake now, a fact of which made the green team more than a little relieved.

Sasuke Uchiha looked at his two teammates as they settled down and ate, absently thanking the bridge builders' daughter for the meal before they dug in. His two teammates were equally subdued, though in different ways. Kiba Inuzuka and his puppy, Akamaru, kept themselves busy by quickly by inhaling the meagre meal laid out in front of them. Sakura Haruno on the other hand ate slowly, but her eyes were downcast and every now and then he noticed her bite her bottom lip out of shear nervousness.

All three of them were nervous until their sensei had woken up, even Sasuke, though he didn't like to admit it. But when their sensei was unconscious, at least for the moment, that had left them to set up some kind of defensive perimeter around their client's house to protect them against any counterattack which would be made. That was when the injured Samurai had come knocking on the door.

The three Genin had been worried that she was one of Gato's thugs, so without waiting for their hosts to say otherwise they slammed the door open and charged out to meet the would be aggressor. Sasuke had noticed a few things, first that she was a girl and female Samurai were quite rare, according to the books he read at least, but the battle took hold and he noticed nothing else until his kunai knife plunged into her forearm, and she smashed her head against his after toppling Kiba with a vicious elbow to the throat.

The next thing he remembered were all three of them sprawled and the Samurai on a knee, breathing heavily and in obvious pain. Then the bridge builder's daughter, Tsunami, had jumped in and stopped the fight just as the Samurai collapsed. She had ordered them to carry her into the house, but they didn't know much of her until barely a day ago when their sensei had woken up.

"_I hired her," Tsunami explained as she looked at both her father and the three confused Genin. "I saw her embarrass a few of Gato's thugs on the main street and hired her."_

"_You hired her," Tazuna asked with a frown, sounding surprisingly sober. "And you're sure she's a Samurai...she looks no older than these three brats!"_

_Tsunami noticed the three Genin bristle a little at the statement, but ignored them in favour of glaring down her father. "Yes she is a Samurai, and by the way I've seen her train a good one. I decided to try and do something instead of staying at home and cowering."_

Sasuke frowned as he remembered the conversation. The Samurai had been a dying breed, at least on this half of the continent. The only nation he was aware of that still utilised Samurai as their protectors was the Land of Iron, maybe she was a trainee from there, or perhaps further west, besides them the only ones who called themselves Samurai anymore were nothing more than wannabe's with rusted katana and bad attitudes.

He looked over at his sensei, sitting by the window reading his book, and wandered idly if Kakashi knew anything more than what he was letting on, but for some reason he had the feeling that now wasn't a good time to ask the man. Ever since he had heard about that Samurai he had become thoughtful and even more aloof than usual. It just didn't feel right to ask him while he was like this.

When he did speak up after a few moments it was a little of a surprise to his team. "I think we better start by setting up a perimeter around the house. The three of you will come with me. This seems like the perfect time to show you how to utilise basic perimeter alerts and defences."

"Naruto already did that," Tsunami stated as she came in to pick up their empty plates, slightly surprising the young group, Kakashi even looked up from the book he was reading to pay attention. "She set them up the moment she took the job."

The Inuzuka scoffed lightly, "That Samurai chick probably just dug a few trap holes, nothing us Shinobi can fix up."

Sakura nodded her head in agreement, but Sasuke didn't seem as agreeable, clasping his hands together and looking at the older woman with a serious gaze. "What kind of methods did she use?"

Tsunami thought for a moment, trying to remember the memory. "She called it... Fuinjutsu, or something like that."

The Uchiha's eyes widened marginally, "Fuinjutsu, are you sure?"

Tsunami frowned, "Yes, that's what she called it."

"Sasuke?" Sakura asked with a worried look.

"Fuin... what?" Kiba scowled.

"Fuinjutsu," Sasuke explained as he looked at his two teammates. "Translates as the art of sealing, it's considered a rare form of Shinobi art, the ability to utilise seals, usually from some kind of special ink, for such things as traps, bombs, storage, and even for attacks. We see basic types of the technique everywhere, like the explosive tags and sealing scrolls."

"I remember now," Sakura stated, smacking a fist into a palm to symbolise her point. "It was covered a little in second year, really hard stuff, and I mean really, really hard. One of the best examples they showed us was the Yondaime Hokage's Flying Thunder God technique, where he used seals in his kunai to teleport from one area to another."

"I remember," Kiba said after a moment, though the look on his face said otherwise.

"Let me guess," Sasuke said with a little smirk. "You feel asleep during that class too?"

He went red, embarrassed, but growled gruffly, "No I wasn't moron."

Sasuke shrugged, "Whatever dead last."

"Take that back asshole," Kiba snarled in outright anger, unaware that Sakura had stood up abruptly, picked up Akamaru and set him to the side before taking a deep breath and bringing her fist down abruptly on top of his head, smashing it against the tabletop. "What the hell!"

"Don't be so annoying Kiba," Sakura growled.

"He started it!"

"Enough," Sasuke said lowly, massaging his forehead in an attempt to stem the headache he was getting. Why he had to be in this team he would never know. He brought his attention back to Tsunami. "What kinds of seals did she use, do you know?"

Before Tsunami could respond a honeyed voice interrupted them, followed by the creek of feet walking very slowly down the stairs. "Level two and three sensory seals, latest Kusa edition, set up in a perimeter ten meters out for the third and twenty meters out for the second, basic design is to detect any trained chakra sources besides the ones tuned to them and warn the ones their tuned too, basically me, you and your sensei."

The three Genin watched as the Samurai limped into the room, and took a seat on one of the vacant chairs on the dining room table, raising a hand to stop a worried looking Tsunami from approaching before setting her attention to the three very alert Genin, cracking a grin as she set her sights on Kiba. "A little more adequate from dug trap holes wouldn't you agree?"

Kakashi studied her closely, taking in her appearance for the first time. He took stock of her injuries, noticing the lack of a caste on the leg where her tendon snapped, though the bandages around her head and forearm were still there and she was in the process of unwrapping them. His one visible eye widened slightly, and he saw Sakura standing up, about to protest, but she had already completely removed the cloth from her head and was in the middle of unwrapping the one on her forearm, removing the whole bandage to reveal smooth skin, unblemished, almost as if there hadn't been a stab wound there at all.

The Samurai noticed their shock as she smiled and sat down, depositing the bandages on the table beside her. "I heal quickly."

"There's quickly, and then there's insanely fast." Sakura murmured in disbelief. "That isn't normal."

"No kidding," Kiba added with a small bark from his canine companion. "How the hell are you so healed up after two days, with wounds that you had it would have taken at least a month, maybe two for a normal person?"

Her smile widened a little more, "I'm not a normal person."

"A bloodline limit, a Kekkei Genkei" Kakashi asked nonchalantly after a moment of hesitation, turning a page in his book in an attempt to look disinterested, noticing the girl look at him critically. "That's the only thing I can think off that would explain such quick healing. What clan are you from?"

The Samurai looked at him critically for a moment, before cracking a small smirk. "What makes you think I'm from a clan?"

"No normal person heals that quickly," Kakashi replied as he looked at her with a great intensity which she seemed to shrug off. "What is your name?"

"Naruto," she replied simply, pausing for a moment as she continued to study him. So this was Kakashi Hatake, the legendary Copy-Ninja. He was as handsome as she heard and even more aloof than she had thought possible.

"You're clan name as well."

"Surname you mean?" she asked with a frown.

The Jōnin shrugged.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

Kakashi looked at her for a long moment, "Uzumaki?"

"I know that name," Kiba muttered in thought, ignoring his companions whine.

"What?" Sakura asked as she looked around, frowning. "What about her name?"

Sasuke nodded, deep in thought. That name was also vaguely familiar to him. It had been talked about in his presence before, but he couldn't remember exactly what the subject was about.

"The Uzumaki _clan_," Kakashi explained, gaining the attention of his students, but his gaze never left Naruto. "The founding clan of a Hidden Village known as Uzushiogakure, Village Hidden in the Whirlpools, a prominent and infamous clan known for their Fuinjutsu., long life spans and unparalleled constitution, able to survive most injuries that would kill a normal person. They had an alliance with Konoha, mainly because they and the Senju shared a common ancestry, similar to the Hyuga and Uchiha clans though on much better terms. Do you remember the spirals on all of our villages Chūnin and Jōnin flak vests?"

His Genin team nodded their heads.

"That symbol is a sign of remembrance and friendship between the two villages," Kakashi explained. "It was said that Uzushiogakure was the strongest and most reliable ally Konoha ever had or will ever have. There were even rumours at the time of the two villages joining together and combining the clans into one whole village."

There was silence for a long moment, both Kakashi and Naruto studying each other intensely. The silence was broken by Sakura. "So, what happened?"

Kakashi studied her for a moment before he responded, "The other villages took the initiative. The Uzumaki clan was revered but also feared for their fighting style, their Jutsu arsenal, their knowledge of Fuinjutsu. The other villages feared that if the Uzumaki and their fellow clans joined Konoha who already had the Uchiha, Hyuga and Senju clans then a new power would emerge on the continent which would dwarf all of the others. One of the other four Great Villages acted, invading their village and destroying the clan, only a few of the Uzumaki were said to survive and they dispersed across the continent, vanishing into the shadows and taking the majority of their abilities and techniques with them."

There was silence for a moment, broken by the Uzumaki in the room. "A good lesson, thank you for telling me such a tale... I will admit that I had little knowledge of my clan until this moment, not even sensei or any of his fellow students would tell me, and though I had a feeling they knew something as well. If I may ask, how do you know all this?"

"I knew a couple of Uzumaki during my younger days, and fought alongside them for long enough to know a thing or two about their abilities." Kakashi explained with a shrug. "Sadly they are now deceased, but one was a good friend of mine."

"The past cannot be changed," Naruto said as she stood up. "Only the present and future can... I thank you for this knowledge... can I have your name?"

"Kakashi Hatake," Kakashi replied simply.

Naruto nodded her head, "Thank you, Kakashi Hatake, for telling me this tale. I admit that I am curious and probably will strive to learn more in the future, but for now we have a job to do."

"Indeed," Kakashi replied with a nod before asking his next question. "You are a Samurai correct, which rank?"

"Sensei?" Kiba asked with a frown.

"Like us, Samurai have a hierarchy," Kakashi explained as his one visible eye once again met those of his quarry, studying her intensely. "A five echelon hierarchy if I remember right. Those are the unranked apprentice, basically the same as academy students, and then there are Aonisaibushi, Amateur Samurai, who are the same level as Genin, Chukanbushi, Middle Samurai, their type of Chūnin, Seieibushi, Elite Samurai, their version of Jōnin, and finally Shogun, their version of a Kage or Sato-Osa."

"You are well informed," Naruto stated after a moment, turning ever so slightly so her right eye was visible, piercing blue in the shadows. "I am classed as a Chukanbushi."

"A mid-ranked Samurai," Kakashi said, eyes crinkling into a disarming smile. "What are your specialties?"

"I'll keep that to myself, if you don't mind," Naruto replied simply.

"You don't trust us?"

"I just met you," Naruto replied, looking at the three Genin. "And they did attack me, even if it was by accident."

"I understand," Kakashi allowed with a nod of his head before changing the topic. "How good are your seals?"

Naruto smirked, "As good as anyone of Chūnin level and above can make. Sensei told me that I am pretty advanced on the subject. Oh, by the way I'll need a sample of your blood so I can tune you and your friends into the seal and make sure it doesn't go off every time you guys leave camp. It'll give me a hell of a headache otherwise."

Kakashi nodded his head, "What do we need to do."

Naruto pulled back the sleeve of her right arm, and concentrated some chakra into it, revealing a black kanji symbol emblazoned on the skin of her wrist. "I need you and your friend's to drop some blood onto this seal, just a drop is needed and you will be able to pass to and from the barrier at your leisure."

Sasuke nodded as he leaned across the table, drawing a kunai and slicing a small cut along his middle finger, he allowed the drop of blood to flow, accumulate and drop right onto the black ink of the exposed seal, which glowed once it connected. Naruto and Sasuke's eyes met for a moment and then the blonde smiled a little. "Congratulations, you're now a member of this houses defensive team."

Sasuke nodded again, leaning back over the table and sucking the remaining blood from his finger. Naruto allowed a toothy grin before turning towards Sakura and Kiba, showing them her seal and waiting for a moment. "Well, do you want to get this done or not? Or are you afraid of the sight of blood?"

That got the Inuzuka's attention. He growled as he drew a kunai and cut his palm, "As if!"

The blood pooled onto Naruto's seal, who frowned at the few too many drops before focusing a slightly irritated glare upon Kiba. "I said a _drop_, not a fountain."

The Inuzuka huffed as he stood back and sat down, bringing out a bandage to cover his wound. Naruto smirked, "You'll never get a girlfriend with that attitude."

"What!" Kiba growled before he was hit on the head by an annoyed Sakura.

"Thank you," Naruto said with a small smile as the girl of the team stepped forward, hesitantly drew a kunai and cut a small gash in her thumb.

"Don't mention it," Sakura replied with a nervous smile, looking over at Kiba, who was nursing his head, before back to Naruto. "We could take turns?"

"Sounds good to me," Naruto replied with a small smile as two drops of her blood fell upon the seal. Kakashi got up from his place by the window, walking calmly, slouched, over to Naruto, quickly drawing a kunai and leaving a shallow cut along his thumb, which fell onto the seal.

"Thank you for your help. This'll make it a little easier for me in the long run." The Samurai stood up and, bringing out a cloth wiped the blood from her forearm.

The three Genin and their sensei nodded, and with her job done the blonde Samurai walked towards the staircase. "I think I'll get my katana and do some training."

She was gone, just like that, disappearing up the stairs to collect her katana, still with a limp but considerably lesser than before. It was a minute after Naruto's steps vanished that Kakashi rose from his place, dusting himself off before turning to his team, flashing each of them a smile which curved up his one good eye. "Alright, lesson learned. It's time that we start training in preparation for that rematch."

The more he looked at her the more and more he saw the resemblance between her and his deceased sensei. The hair was a little brighter, and the eyes a little darker but the whisker marks on her cheeks were a dead giveaway.

Now here she was, a sixteen year old young woman. Kakashi had given up all hope of ever finding her, yet here she was, in the last place he expected to find her. The legacy of his late sensei was standing, safe, sound and healthy, if a little beaten up.

He needed to get word back to Konoha that he had found her. Whether she would want to go back with him or not was another thing entirely.

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **__You know what... It's not that I hate the Wave Arc, far from it. It's just that this particular arc has been used just as many times as the Chūnin arc, maybe even more that it had become boring and almost insanely annoying to write. I am safe because I am using it from a different perspective, and I have a little of my muse's fickle but useful power working for me too... I am hoping that this will give me what I need to continue my other Naruto story Azure Cat, Crimson Fox, as I have gained a little bit of an annoying block with that one for a time now, I know where I want to go but I am racking my brain on how to get there!_

_**Author's Note 2: **__On another note this released chapter is actually a third draft... damn did I go overboard, deleting paragraphs, rearranging sections, looking up old original manga chapters and adding the odd little bit here and there as I went. I was hoping to publish this before midnight, and here we are at nearly 1am in British standard time I believe._


	4. Understanding

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Understanding**_

Kakashi sighed as he walked back to the house, Sakura by his side, content to leave Kiba and Sasuke to continue on with the tree walking exercise until they got it. Sakura had gotten it almost immediately, leaving the two boys in the dust with her much better chakra control, ever since then the boys had seen it as a challenge and were competing against each other to see who would reach the top of their chosen trees first.

The sun was setting in the west, amassing a brilliant series of reds, oranges and yellows to the slowly darkening blues. The setting sun caste its light across the clear, still waters of the lake. It was a beautiful sight, a picture perfect backdrop to a stunning little country. It could be a nice relaxing holiday destination, if not for the strife the small nation was facing.

Sakura was by his side as he made his way towards the house where their clients lived, "Um, sensei."

"Yes Sakura?" Kakashi asked.

"There's someone out there, but that's not possible is it?" the girl asked as she pointed towards the lake, and Kakashi could just make out that she was looking at something on the surface of the lake, a dark figure standing alongside the border between water and sky.

"Let's have a look," Kakashi said after a moment, walking onwards towards the house, and the wooden pier beside it which led out to the lake, built from worn but sturdy timber planks, a few fishing boats were moored on the sides. Kakashi didn't stop until he came to the edge of the pier, Sakura by his side as he condensed chakra into his eyes to magnify his vision.

It was Naruto, standing on the still surface of the water, slightest of ripples expanding from the soles of her feet. She had stripped her orange kimono down to the waist, showing her chest covered in tight white bandages. She was training, and had been training for a while by the sheen of sweat covered her exposed skin, her chest heaving from breath as she had fallen into a basic sword fighting stance, katana held in both hands as she brought it over her head and down again.

"Who is it, sensei?" Sakura asked.

"It's that girl, Naruto." Kakashi replied, continuing to watch as she continued her training regime.

"How can she be walking on water?"

"Water walking exercise," her sensei replied, noticing how she was able to not just walk on water with such little effort but continue on with a simple sword training exercise. "It's a fairly advanced form of chakra control, the next step up from tree walking. It looks like she's got the handle of it fairly well too."

"Can you do that as well, sensei?"

"Indeed I can, in fact I think I'll wander out and have a little chat with our Samurai friend," Kakashi said, looking down at his student with a small smile. "Are you alright heading back to the house on your own?"

She gave him a quizzical look, "It's just over there sensei."

Kakashi hummed before stepping over the threshold and allowing gravity to drop him onto the surface of the lake, ignoring Sakura's exclaim of surprise followed by a gasp as he pooled the chakra expertly to the soles of his feet and began walking nonchalantly across the surface of the lake, hands in his pockets, towards one Naruto Uzumaki.

She noticed his approach when he was but twenty meters away, and looked in his direction with a raised brow as he lazily raised a hand in greeting. "Yo."

"Good afternoon, Kakashi-san," she greeted back, sheathing her katana, a slight blush on her cheeks as she pulled up the top half of her kimono and placed her hands into the sleeves, "Back from training your Genin?"

"Mm," the Copy-Nin hummed in reply, waiting until she tied her obi sash around her waist to tighten the garment. "How long have you been out here?"

She smiled a little sheepishly, hand reaching up to scratch her cheek, "Since lunch."

"That was six hours ago," Kakashi pointed out, a little surprised.

"Was it?" she asked.

"There is such a thing as overdoing it, Naruto-kun." Kakashi chastised lightly, seeing the look of slight confusion written on the young woman's face. He was talking to her almost like he did with his three students. "Care for a sparring partner?"

Naruto blinked, before a slight grin caught her lips. "Trying to feel out my abilities are you?"

"I just want to see how strong our ally is," Kakashi replied simply. "Are you up for it? If you're feeling tired then it can wait for another time."

Naruto seemed to think about it for a moment, a smile forming on her face, "It would be an honour, Kakashi-san."

There was click and then a screech of steel on steel as she drew her katana from its sheathe and fell into a sword fighting stance, at the same time Kakashi drew a kunai from his pouch and also fell into a basic stance. His one good eye studied her closely, seeing that her stance was right, and so was her grip on her weapon, not too loose and not too tight, no noticeable mistakes in the way she held her sword, right in front of her. She had definitely received training from a reputable dojo.

"Good stance," he said as he studied, letting her know that he was marking her. "Just the right grip on your sword, no real mistakes as far as I can see. Tell me Naruto-kun, who trained you?"

Naruto smirked, "Beat me and I'll tell you."

"Alright then," Kakashi replied with a chuckle. "I'll hold you to that."

Naruto's smile was still on her face as she edged forward ever so slightly, "Ready?"

"Begin," Kakashi nodded and jumped back as Naruto surged forward, once lively blue eyes taking on a harder tone as her katana moved fluently, coming down in a diagonal arc which Kakashi effortlessly blocked with his kunai. She pivoted on her right foot, spinning on her heel and bringing her sword around in a sweeping arc which the Copy-nin blocked again, the two weapons screeched as they locked together.

Kakashi took the few seconds to study her sword, and noticed straight away that it wasn't just some random sword. It was made by a proper craftsman, every inch of the sword practically screamed quality. It was also well taken care of, not a single nick on the blade, not a smudge on the guard or the hilt. He could almost swear that he could vaguely smell the blade cleaning oil. A well made sword, with an owner who obviously treasured it dearly, like a family heirloom, or perhaps a gift from someone she loved and respected.

Naruto grunted in exertion as she pushed forward with her katana, forcing Kakashi to disengage and backup a few steps, watching with a raised brow as the young Samurai doggedly gave chase, moving fluently and without a single movement wasted as she continued to force Kakashi back with a flurry of diagonal and horizontal slashes which continued to keep the Jōnin on the back foot.

From an untrained perspective it just looked like Naruto was going on the offensive without a strategy. Kakashi knew better, much better. Naruto knew that Samurai were at their strongest in close to mid-range fighting, and she also knew that if she allowed Kakashi to get some distance her chances against him became slim to none.

She knew this, but she had been training all day, she was tired, and it was beginning to show. Kakashi jumped back, narrowly dodging an overhead cut, watching as the blade seemed to flow into a horizontal swing which he ducked. He noticed that she had overextended herself slightly on the swing and used it to his advantage, getting in under her guard and delivering an open palmed strike to her chest. Naruto gasped as the breath was forced from her lungs before being launched back, skidding across the water; leaving small crevices of surf in her wake before coming to a halt.

She was breathing heavily, taking in huge gulps of air, hand held against her chest, more importantly to her cracked ribs which were still healing. Kakashi noticed this, shaking his head slightly as he watched her fall back into a basic sword fighting style.

"Perhaps we should stop, it is clear that you haven't recovered fully."

"Nah I'm good," Naruto replied breathlessly. "But if you want to quit then be my guess."

Kakashi sighed. Once again seeing ghosts of people he cared about in this girl. There was some of her mother's diehard stubbornness that Uzumaki were so well known for. Kakashi knew that if her mother was who he thought she was then she would never surrender, never give in until she was either knocked out or beaten to the point where she wouldn't be getting back up again.

"You haven't healed yet, at least not completely," the Copy-nin reasoned simply. "I won't risk losing you because you got yourself injured by training into the ground."

"I need to train," Naruto said with a frown, remembering that battle with the masked Ninja. "I need to get stronger."

"But you're also injured, even with that Uzumaki healing factor at work I can tell that you still need another day or two before those ribs and tendon fully heal," Kakashi placated, raising his hand in a peace gesture. "Training is important, and I am not telling you to lie in bed all day, but you need to lessen your training regime a little, at least until we're sure you're completely healed."

She loosened her grip on her blade, lowering her sword slightly. Kakashi could see the wheels in her head turning through her expressive blue orbs. Finally she sighed and sheathed her sword, walking up until she was barely a meter away from Kakashi.

"You overextend yourself every now and then, and you also get a little impatient when a duel gets a little drawn out," Kakashi explained, expecting her to frown at him but was slightly surprised to see her listening to him with rapt attention. "You're also holding back. You know more about chakra than control exercises."

Naruto looked a little surprised, and then a small smile crept across her face. "The rumours weren't wrong. You are that good."

Kakashi was silent for a moment, "And?"

"Not sure I should tell you that," Naruto replied with a cheeky smile, though Kakashi could see her indecisiveness in telling him anything about her techniques and abilities, and he couldn't blame her. Technically she was right, there may come a time when they would be on opposite sides of a mission, and if that happened him knowing her abilities, strengths and weaknesses would be a dangerous disadvantage to her.

"I'll probably be able to see what you can do when Zabuza and his subordinate come back," Kakashi urged slightly. "Plus I need to know about what you can do so that I know how to place you in the team, at least while the mission lasts."

Naruto looked at Kakashi for a while, "You're a little presumptuous, aren't you?"

"Not really," Kakashi replied with a shrug. "We will need a temporary hierarchy if we are to protect Tazuna and his family successfully. I am the oldest and most experienced here. I'm not trying to force you to be my subordinate, but we will need to work together for this mission to work."

The blonde thought about it for a moment, before sighing and nodding her head. "You are right."

Kakashi nodded, eye crinkling up as he flashed a disarming smile. "So what would you say you're strongest position is?"

"Close to mid-range, most of my chakra techniques would be more for augmenting my strength and speed," Naruto answered after a long moment of hesitation, still sizing him up, still gauging if he was trustworthy or not. "I do know a few other techniques, mainly orientated around my katana, but I also know a few which I can use if I am disarmed."

"I see," Kakashi replied with a nod. The two of them were walking towards the pier now, sun almost completely submerged in the now night sky, lights were coming on from the houses around the lake, a signal of where they should walk. "Is there anything you wish for in return for your cooperation?"

She thought for a moment, just a moment, "That masked Shinobi who saved Zabuza, I want another crack at him."

"Are you sure the Shinobi who ambushed you and the one who saved Zabuza were one and the same," Kakashi asked as he eyed her.

"Wore a mask, long black hair tied in a bun, two long strands of which would frame his face... greyish kimono like garb, utilised senbon as weapons," Naruto explained, using her fingers to tick off everything she remembered of her ambusher as she looked at the Jōnin. "Does that sound like the Hunter-nin who saved Zabuza?"

Kakashi sighed as he nodded, "Yes."

"Then I want a crack at him, a rematch from the one in the forest... with no interruption." Naruto laid out her terms for aiding them simply and to the point. "Is that acceptable?"

"Even if he could kill you," Kakashi asked with a raised brow.

Naruto shrugged, "That is the lives both you and me have chosen, as both Samurai and Shinobi. I have come to terms that I could die, though I admit that I am not interested in dying for quite a few years yet... besides he won't kill me."

"How can you be so sure?" Kakashi asked, frowning beneath his mask.

"He could have killed me in that forest, at least three times during our fight he had an opportunity to kill me, yet he didn't," they had reached the pier, and pushing chakra into her soles she jumped up and over the pier, landing silently on her feet and picking up her sandals as Kakashi mimicked her technique, landing idly beside her and waiting for her to put on her footwear before continuing to the house. "He doesn't have that killer's instinct, doesn't really want to kill."

"Do you?"

Naruto was silent for a moment as they slowly continued their walk towards the house. "I became a Samurai more to learn about self defence than anything else. If anyone threatens my friends, then I will defend them, I will defend them and I will defend myself."

"Have you ever killed before?" Kakashi asked softly, seeing the back door to the house in sight.

"No," she replied, head dipped a little. "No I haven't."

Kakashi looked at her for a moment, "Will you be prepared when the time comes?"

His hand was on the knob of the door, waiting for her response.

Her head was dipped, shadows crossing the top half of her face hiding her eyes, yet the Shinobi could see that she was biting her bottom lip in apprehension. She replied after another moment, another long moment of silence, "I don't know."

Kakashi hesitated before opened the door.

* * *

Naruto leaned back, and sighed contently as she looked up upon the night sky, absently counting the numerous small white lights of starlight for several moments before lying on her back, propping up her head with her hands as she closed her eyes and hummed an old tune. The silence of her perch was only interrupted by the soft clicking of crickets from the nearby forest.

Tsunami was a great cook, almost everything she served to the young Samurai was delicious, and almost always left her with a full stomach and a content smile. She idly wandered for a moment if taking such cooking was a good idea, but shrugged and told herself that she would be working it off during her training.

She had chosen to perch herself onto the roof of the family home, making up the excuse of being a lookout for the night, even though the sensory seals she surrounded the property would be more than enough to warn her and her new allies of any unwelcome visitors. She simply wanted a moment of peace and silence, and where else but on the roof.

She heard a scrape of someone making their way to the ceiling, and turned her head in time to see a semi-familiar spiky mop of black hair, followed by pale skin and onyx eyes. Naruto raddled her brain for a moment, attempting to remember the younger boys name, the quiet one with the piercing gaze. "May I help you, Sasuke?"

The boy had come back with his rowdy teammate not much more than an hour after she and the rest had their dinner, both himself and Kiba were exhausted, and had eaten like a couple of horses to regain their lost chakra reserves and energy, eating to the point where they were throwing up from eating too much too quickly.

The Uchiha scowled a little, before shaking it off as he stood up, hands stuffed in his pockets as he looked upon her disgruntled. "I needed a bit of peace and quiet for a moment; looks like you beat me here."

Naruto smiled a little, "Indeed I did, would you like to keep me company?"

Sasuke hesitated for a moment, eyeing her with those piercing onyx eyes.

Naruto gave him a wry look, "What?"

"Mm," Sasuke grunted as he walked to her side and sat down beside her, looking at her for a brief moment before looking out at the lake, surface shimmering from the bright moon. "Why did you come up here?"

Naruto thought for a moment, "I like to watch the stars, brings me a little peace and quiet to think."

"What are you thinking off?" the Uchiha asked.

"Lots and lots of things," the blonde replied as she grinned cheekily. "For instance I'm trying to figure out what sauce Tsunami-chan used tonight for dinner."

Sasuke looked at her critically for a long moment, long enough for Naruto to begin feeling a little nervous. "Is there something on my face?"

"Hn," he answered and Naruto scowled.

"That gets a little annoying after a while," she said.

"Hn,"

"Fine, don't listen to me." The Uzumaki pouted as she folded her arms but continued to look up at the night sky, once again nonchalantly counting the number of stars. She was on thirty when the Uchiha spoke to her again.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Naruto," she replied with a cheeky grin. "Did you forget my name so quickly?"

"That's not what I meant," Sasuke said gruffly."Ever since you introduced your clan name Kakashi-sensei has become more serious, showed a lot more interest in you. I already know about how your clan and Konoha were close allies, but besides that why would he be so interested in you."

Naruto thought about that, admitting that she had thought the same question about him and his intentions. He seemed too interested in her, a little too interested to be considered comfortable. "I don't know, maybe Konoha always had an interest in trying to resurrect my clan ever since our village was destroyed?"

Sasuke scowled but conceded the point, "Maybe, but it seems more than that."

Naruto shrugged, "Maybe, but maybe not. We'll just have to wait and see what your sensei has in mind."

Sasuke hesitated for a moment, studying her, but shrugged his shoulders with a grunt and went back to looking upon the lake. Naruto was now even deeper in thought, thoughts of why Kakashi was so interested in her crossing her mind. She had admired the man for some time, but she had to admit that his attention on her was a little unnerving. Maybe she should send word for help, if not from the Konoha Ninja who were making her nervous then maybe for this upcoming rematch set for anytime in the next week on the bridge.

"You're still alive huh?"

Naruto didn't show the slightest bit of surprise when Inari looked up at them from his bedroom window, if anything she had known he was snooping on them since the beginning and by the disinterested look she guessed Sasuke knew as well. Naruto peered over, flashing a wry smile. "Sorry to disappoint you kid, but I don't go down easily."

She saw something, anger maybe, in his eyes. "Why are you still so cocky? You're bluffing."

"Bluffing?" Naruto asked, smile degrading into a smirk. She noticed that, ever so slightly, Sasuke was paying at least a little attention. "I'm not bluffing, not a bit. I fought a Shinobi for the first time, and I got my ass kicked... you would think I feel fear now in the aftermath, that I would run away with my tail tucked between my legs. But I won't."

She was grinning now, "I don't feel fear. I feel excitement. I want to face him again, and I made Kakashi-san promise me that I would get first crack at him... or her."

"You're a fool," the kid said.

"Better to be a fool than someone like you, who's lost all hope and more than happy to live under a tyrant's foot." Naruto rebuked mildly, before bringing an inquisitive gaze upon him. "You don't believe in hero's kid?"

Inari scoffed lightly, "There's no such thing as heroes. Those who believe so, they just die in the end."

"We all die kid," Naruto replied. "It's inevitability at its very finest. It's just a question of when and where we meet our end. You're father, he stood up for what he believed in, didn't allow someone else to trample all over him and instead of honouring his sacrifice you simply give up? You're mother hasn't lost hope. You're grandfather hasn't given up. Are they fools?"

That caught the kid off guard. Was his mother and grandfather a fool? His grandfather had been undermining Gato for years, secretly gathering the supplies and people he needed to begin constructing that damned bridge. He was fighting Gato. "What can I do anyway...? I'm just a kid."

Naruto chuckled, shaking her head before pointing towards Sasuke, who looked a little disgruntled that he was being dragged into this little conversation. "He is a kid, his teammates are kids... if you want to stretch it a little I am still a kid. Yet they managed to hold their own against Zabuza Momoichi, one of the almost mythical Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, and I fought his protégé and survived to tell the tale."

"You're different," Inari snarled back. "You've been trained, I haven't."

"Training only counts for so much," Naruto replied. "I once saw a farmer, armed with no more than a pitchfork, beat off a bunch of bandits on his own. Was it because he was stronger or better trained than them? No, it was because he had an iron will that they would not get into his home and hurt his family. He fought for that goal, and he won."

She stood up, dusting herself off. "The first step is knowing exactly what you fear, next step is admitting it and the next step after that is conquering it. When the chips are down, and the life of someone you love is on the line will you cower and watch them get hurt, or will you stand and fight."

She left, silently like a wraith, jumping from the rooftop, leaving Sasuke and Inari behind. Inari didn't rebuke what she said, instead he seemed to be thinking, brooding, and trying to find a fault in her logic. It wasn't long before he vanished back into his bedroom, leaving the Uchiha alone.

"Conquer what you fear, huh?" he murmured as he looked up to the night sky.

* * *

It was early. The sun was still a good hour from making its presence known in the still dark sky. Kakashi looked around, headband raised to show his Sharingan eye, three tomoe spinning as he silently observed the surrounding forest, looking for anything that shouldn't belong, anything that would be even slightly out of place.

He remained that way for a long moment, observing, chakra expanding in thin wisps to check the surrounding area, to make sure that he was completely alone. After a while he released a sigh, and bringing his right hand up bit the thumb just strong enough to draw blood. He coated his fingers in the red liquid before bringing his hands together to make five seal's in quick succession.

He took a breath as he slammed his hand onto the ground, a spiral of miniscule black kanji appearing on the dirt, "Summoning Jutsu!"

There was an explosion of smoke, and once it cleared the legendary Copy-nin was no longer alone in the forest. Standing before him was a small animal, a bulldog wearing a blue jacket, looking right at him with eyes as intelligent as any humans. The animal raised a small paw, and spoke in a deep, gruff voice.

"Yo, Kakashi, been a while."

"Pakkun," Kakashi greeted in reply, both eyes crinkling as he smiled. "I have a mission for you."

The dog was silent for a moment, seeing that this was serious. "Alright, what is it?"

Kakashi reached into his flak vest, pulling out a scroll. He then kneeled and presented it to the small dog, who grabbed it with his mouth in a frim grip. "The contents of this scroll are to be delivered to the Hokage and no one else, not even his personal ANBU or the Jōnin commander. It is an S-rank message, for his eyes only. Do you understand?"

Pakkun hesitated for a moment, nodding his head before turning on his heel and vanishing into the depths of the forest, destination the Hidden Village of Konohagakure, the Leaf, in the very heart of the Land of Fire. Kakashi watched him go, before turning around and making his way back to the house, hands in his pockets and posture slouched, though his mind was moving far faster.

* * *

It was early. The sky was still dark, stars were still out and the sun was nowhere in sight. Naruto sighed as she looked around, heightened senses of smell and hearing scavenging the area for any sign of anything that didn't belong in this deep forest. She heard everything within a kilometres radius, and smelled every animal and plant within three times that range. She wasn't sure if this was a side effect of her late clans Kekkei Genkai, or a similar side effect of something else, all she knew was that she needed to be stationary and completely focused to use it correctly.

After a few moments she breathed a sigh, and brought her right hand to her mouth, biting her thumb just enough to draw blood and coating her fingers in the red liquid before performing a slow, but flawless series of five seals, feeling the chakra coalesce around her as she searched for and found the perfect amount for what she wished to summon.

"Summoning Jutsu," she muttered as she slammed her bloodied hand into the earth, watching as a mass of black seals spread out on the ground she touched, followed by an explosion of white smoke. She came up to a knee, waiting, reaching out with a hand to search, and found it in a muzzle of soft fur.

The smoke cleared, showing her summon. It was as tall as she was in a crouch, a long muzzle, black eyes, white fur, a sinewy body and two long tails with black tips flailing lazily back and forth behind it. The white fox looked at her for a long moment, before taking a few steps forward to lick her hand and then nuzzling close to her, allowing her to wrap her arms around its strong neck in an embrace.

"You summoned me for more than a cuddle, little sister," the Kitsune asked as she licked her nose, watching as Naruto smiled happily at seeing an old friend before burying her face into the unnatural large snow foxes mane with a content sigh.

"I'm afraid so," Naruto replied with a nod as she disengaged from her friend and took another look around to see if they were truly alone. "I need you to get a message to Shizuma and Izaya... can you do that?"

"I can, I can smell them from here," the fox nodded with a frown. "But why do you need them?"

"Let's just say that there is a confrontation coming, and I feel that I have bitten off a little bit more than I can chew," Naruto replied, seeing the serious gleam in the Kitsune's eyes. "How far away do you think they are?"

The Kitsune raised its head to the sky, eyes glowing, "A few days away as the hawk flies, so three days away by their usual speed."

"That'll cut it close," Naruto frowned.

"I take it you're in a little trouble?"

"You could say that. I'm in the middle of a fight between the Demon of the Mist Zabuza Momoichi... and Kakashi Hatake of the Sharingan eye."

The Kitsune growled, even in their solitude they had heard of these two titans of the human realm. "I will make haste then."

"Take care." Naruto nodded with a grateful smile as the Kitsune gave her one last lick before bolting off with almost blurring speed, vanishing into the deep darkness of the forest beyond. She was about to make her way back to the house, but looked around and sighed. She was already up, and she always liked the outdoors more than the indoors, perhaps she should find a tree and sleep for a few more hours before beginning her usual training regime.

* * *

It was early. The morning mist was still rife, dew from last night's rain showers covered the exposed vegetation, and the chorus of song birds filled the air, adding a note of perfection to the serene scene. Haku breathed in the early morning air, and exhaled deeply, a smile tugging the ice wielders face upwards.

The decision to venture away from their hideout was proving to be a fruitful venture, already the young Ninja had found most of the herbs needed to concoct the correct healing potions required to aide Zabuza further in his recovery. Another hour of searching was all that would be required to gain the right amount. The ice wielder looked around, setting the basket half full of flowers and plants down before venturing further into the forest.

Maybe it was the Kekkei Genkai inherited by Haku's mother, maybe it was the upbringing the young Ninja received in the Land of Water, but this type of temperature, this type of atmosphere was where the youth felt most at home. The cool breeze, moist air, early morning mist and the feeling of wet grass brought back memories of home, of a far happier time, before everything went to hell.

The ice wielder had just found another of the plants required when a slight tinge of chakra invaded the youth's senses and immediately Haku was at full alert. Standing upright, eyes flashing back and forth as a trio of senbon needles fell into a waiting palm, courtesy of the ejector hidden up the sleeve of the worn kimono.

It only took a few moment of searching before the source of the disturbance came into focus. Leaning against a thick tree on the other side of the clearing was a feminine figure, asleep by the looks of it. A wide brimmed straw hat was perched on her head, hiding her features as it was tipped over her face, a familiar orange kimono, sandals had been taken off and deposited to one side and she was hugging a familiar sheathed katana. Haku noticed her chest heave too and froe, another signal that she was asleep.

Slowly, with care and silence the fake Hunter Ninja approached, not making a sound as feet came down slowly. The youth was hovering over the Samurai within moments, hand reaching out, senbon at the ready to be utilised whatever way seen fit. There was hesitation, a long moment of hesitation. If the ice wielder could kill the Samurai now, in this place, then that would be one less obstacle in the way of their mission here.

There was a long moment, penetrated by the deep breathes of the target as she slept, finally the decision was made. The senbon vanished into the long sleeve of the kimono, and a hand gripped onto the sleeping girls shoulder, shaking her awake.

"Hey, you really shouldn't sleep here," Haku said softly as the girl groaned, returning to the land of the living once again.

"Mm, oh... hello," the girl greeted as she stretched, straw hat falling from her head only to stop as the string around her neck held it to her shoulder blades. She yawned, and reached up to wipe the gum from her eyes before flashing Haku a friendly, tired smile. "I didn't realise anybody would be out here, least of all this early."

Haku studied her for a long moment, before sighing and rising again to full height. "What are you doing out here all alone?"

The girl smiled a little sheepishly, "I'm kind of an outdoor girl, decided to sleep for a little while before beginning some training."

"Training," Haku asked, pretending to sound surprised before looking at the katana still held in her hands, leaning against her right shoulder. "Are you a Ninja or a Samurai?"

The girl smiled, "The latter."

"It's rare to see Samurai this side of the continent."

"So I've been told." She responded as she stretched, allowing her muscles to pop before slowly rising to her feet, dusting herself off with her free hand as she leaned her katana against her shoulder nonchalantly. "That was a good sleep. Normal people would say that a bed is the best place but for me there's nothing quite like just the right tree and a bit of dry land."

Haku was slightly surprised. She really didn't seem to recognise the ice wielder, most likely from the lack of a mask or the usual hairstyle the youth wore when brandishing the persona of a Hunter Ninja. The youngster simply nodded at the girl's statement, knowing full well that as a Missing Ninja, well sort off, the ice wielder usually found leaning against a trunk just as relaxing, beds were too soft for Haku's taste.

"So what are you doing out here?" the girl asked curiously as she blinked the last of the gum from her eyes. "It's not really safe for a young girl to be out here alone."

"I'm gathering herbs for some medicine, a friend of mine is ill," Haku replied easily, motioning to the half full basket several meters away. The ice wielder noticed the Samurai study the basket for a long moment before returning her attention to the person in front of her. Haku was expecting the girl to leave, wishing some luck in the process.

Instead the Samurai smiled, pulling up the sleeves of her kimono. "Do you need any help?"

Haku blinked for a moment, then smiled disarmingly. The offer was unexpected, and the ice wielder wasn't going to risk blowing cover by refusing her help. The youth walked towards the basket, pulling out an undamaged herb and presenting it to the Samurai. "Sure, the herb I'm looking for looks like this."

They spent the next hour working together, gathering as many of the needed herbs as possible. Haku studied the girl while they foraged, and found that she was actually quite helpful. It took her a while of thought and a little advice before she was able to discern the needed herb from the usual weeds, but she was quick to realise what they were looking for, and even began to ask questions about what other kinds of plants had healing properties and how to cultivate them as such.

"Planning on using poisons or something?" Haku asked, making the question sound innocent enough, but also testing the girl.

"Nah," Naruto laughed as she continued to pick the needed herbs from the ground. "There are a few people that have offered to let me travel with them, kind of a surrogate family, and I just figured it would be pretty useful to gain a little knowledge in herbs and medicine, just in case we get into a situation where one of them gets poisoned or hurt and there's no medical facility nearby."

"How close are these people to you?"

"Pretty close, kind of like two older brothers who are always at each other's throats," Naruto replied nonchalantly as she picked another herb. He heard her tone when she spoke about them, almost like actually speaking about two flesh-and-blood, over-protective elders.

"By the way you talk about them you would consider them your real brothers," Haku managed nonchalantly.

Naruto seemed to think, before giggling. "Yeah, they are. The two of them can't agree on anything, in fact when they argue they can level an expanse of forest, but when it comes to me they are willing to fight, and it's the same if anyone besides one of them is beating up the other. It's almost like the rights are ours and ours alone when it comes to fighting, if you know what I mean."

Definitely sounded like siblings. "They sound pretty strong."

"Oh they are," Naruto replied, looking up at the sky. "They're stronger than me by a long shot. They're recognised Seieibushi, elite Samurai, while I'm still just a Chukanbushi. They are strong enough to deal with Jōnin level Shinobi which is why I can't wait until they receive my letter for help."

That got alarm bells ringing, but Haku remained quiet and feigning disinterest, two high ranking Samurai coming here could be troublesome, to put it lightly. "Why would they come here?"

"I made a promise to someone here to protect her family, and I feel that I am not strong enough to do it myself, plus there is a unit of Shinobi also guarding them and something about them makes me feel uneasy." Naruto explained, looking up at the sky and the still rising sun. "Then there are those out for the lives of her and her family, they're pretty strong, one of them was able to beat the hell out of me and the other made the legendary Copy Ninja break a sweat, so I think they'll be needed. If they receive the message and get here in time then the tables will turn a little in our favour."

Haku could only stare at the girl as she deposited a fresh load of herbs into the basket before turning and flashing a wry smile. "Just a little warning, when they arrive things will get a little crazy, and I doubt even you're superior could stand up to both of them."

Haku took an involuntary step back, eyes not leaving those of the Samurai before the ice wielder. The ice wielder had thought that she didn't recognise her assailant, but now it was obvious that she had. "How do you know?"

"How do I know that you're one of Gato's hired guns?" the girl asked with a small smile. "I never forget the chakra signature of someone who has tried to beat the living hell out of me, and you're the first person to do it, ice Ninja. I want my rematch against you, by any means necessary. So don't worry about my brothers getting to you, for you are mine."

* * *

_**Author's Alert:**__ To be honest I was considering just adding the last piece to the next chapter, but decided that it would be better served for an ending to this one. It just seemed right to leave it off here, that adding anything else would sort of ruin it in some way. A few things happening here, Kakashi sending word to Konoha, Naruto sending word to her allies courtesy of a Kitsune, it's amazing how those mythical creatures aren't really used in Naruto fanfiction, especially considering what the protagonist is carrying. I've only found two stories of note so far, one of which seems to be deeply underappreciated... _

_**Author's Note 2: **__Also I have a question concerning Haku, I've got a little plan set out for this character, but I'm just wandering which gender I should set him... or her up as. Should the ice wielder be a girl... or a boy... it's just that although he or she did state that he was a boy I wasn't really so sure, Ninja art of deception and all, and it is a popular debate in Naruto fandom. Let me know what you think, and should I put a little poll on the subject?_


	5. Confrontation

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Confrontations**_

"Why wait until the bridge?" Haku asked simply, slowly falling into a defensive stance. "You obviously have me at a disadvantage here. If you decide to take me our now then you will have one less obstacle in your mission. It is the logical choice to engage and defeat me now."

"Mm," Naruto hummed as her face turned up into a smile. "That's a Shinobi talking I think. While that is how people in your profession operate it is not how a Samurai operates. We operate by facing our opponent when they are good and ready, nothing more, and nothing less. I will let you go, allow you to prepare for our rematch while I do the same, and we will meet again."

"Speaking of honour again, huh?" Haku asked calmly.

"You do learn fast, after all," Naruto chastised with no real malice. "Understand this, a real Samurai practices the code of Bushido, meaning the way of the warrior, and upholds its codes and creed. It states to always face an enemy when they are good and ready to receive you, protect the innocent, defend the helpless and hold your head up high, even when you lose. That is my master's interpretation of the Bushido, the Samurai code."

Haku sighed as the ice Ninja relaxed the combat stance, looking at the girl with a newfound respect, "Very well, I promise you that we will not make our move until Zabuza-sama is fully recovered, and we will make our move on the bridge. We will not endanger the bridge builder's family. It was never a factor in our mission to begin with."

Naruto nodded her head. "I thank you for that."

"To a Ninja a Nindo is just as important as you're Bushido, and when I make a promise I keep it," Haku replied staunchly, folding arms across the chest as the fake hunter ninja continued to study the girl. "I have one last question before we part ways though."

The Samurai blinked for a moment, "By all means."

"Why did you become a Samurai?" Haku asked.

Naruto hesitated before smirking, "Give and take, why did you decide to become a Ninja?"

Now it was the ice Ninja's turn to hesitate, "The man who saved my life, who gave me purpose, was a Shinobi, and he had need of me. Since he saved me my purpose has been to follow him and aide him in his ultimate goal."

Naruto's eyes widened marginally, realising in that very moment that this fellow youth came from the same background, the same conditions as her. They were the same, both alone, dying, and saved by a person whom they now believed in and followed unconditionally. "You don't say."

"I do," Haku replied simply, levelling an unbreakable gaze upon the young woman in front. "Now it's your turn."

Naruto was silent for the longest moment, head bowed, eyes closed, as if waiting for some sign from a higher power. Slowly her eyes opened, showing Haku something which the Ice Ninja did not expect. Eyes just like the ones seen when the youth starred in the mirror. "It's the same story as your own, different place but the same ending."

Haku's eyes narrowed, "You lie."

"I do not. I never lie. Some tell me that it is my greatest weakness, that I'm too honest." Naruto smiled, before it became something sad, something with such weight on it that it was almost suffocating. "I don't remember much of my life before Sensei found me. Maybe I forced myself to forget, all I know is that I was alone, afraid, scared, terrified of my own shadow. I remember seeing scathing glares, like those of a mass murderer receives when he is sentenced, and I could never understand why. I ran, I left that place, I remember forest, dirt paths, collapsing from hunger and thirst, believing that I was going to die."

Her eyes were dead when she spoke this, and that caused Haku some concern, concern which was quickly smothered and forced back. She was lying, was what the ice wielder forced into the mind. Yet her words, her expression, that dead look on her face. It all said otherwise.

"Next thing I remember was waking up in a bed, and then sensei was there. He forced me to eat, and drink. He took me to a place a healing, and when I was better he gave me an offer to come with him and become a Samurai." Naruto said those words with a wistful smile, a happy memory. "I accepted, and became his pupil, studying under him for exactly eleven years, eight months, five days and twelve hours before my tuition under him came to an end. He said that I needed to spread my wings and make my own path, my own life, my own future, but also stated that if I was ever in need all I needed to do was call."

Haku was silent, registering the information. "I see."

"Well I told you my story," Naruto said as she sat down, placing her sheathed katana to the side and motioning to follow her example. "I've told you my story, so I feel that it is time for you to return the favour, my rival."

"Why are you so sure I will?" Haku asked.

Naruto giggled, a little uncharacteristic Haku would admit. "You strike me as an honourable sort."

The ice wielder studied the girl for a moment, before sighing and sitting down. "Very well, it is only fair."

"One question before you begin your story though," Naruto asked innocently enough.

Haku hesitated, before sighing, "By all means."

"Are you a boy or a girl?"

Haku was silent, starring at her for a long moment. This unnerved the Samurai a little.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked inquisitively, tilting her head to the side.

"No, nothing like that, I'm actually used to it by now," Haku replied, feeling cheeks redden slightly to the contrary. "I actually just had a feeling of déjà vu."

Naruto blinked, and then grinned a wide grin, one which forced her eyes shut. "I kind of asked you that same question when you ambushed me in the forest."

Haku frowned, thinking of that moment and coming up blank, "Really?"

"Yeah, thought I was under the impression you were too focused to hear me," Naruto's grin weakened into a smile. "Well answer. Are you a boy or a girl?"

"I'm a boy," Haku replied seriously.

"No way," Naruto replied, studying him with such intensity that it made the ice wielder nervous. "You're prettier than me."

"I beg to differ," Haku smiled, feeling a little satisfaction in seeing the blonde girl's whiskered cheeks blush ever so slightly.

"I apologise if what I said was rude or-" Naruto stated, only to be interrupted by the young man.

"I'm used to it by now," Haku smiled, waving a hand in dismissal.

Naruto pouted in response, cute for a fully trained mid-level Samurai, Haku would admit, before a devious smile spread across her features. "Just to make sure, when I beat you on the bridge I am going to check."

"Check?" Haku asked a little nervously, feeling sweat on his brow.

"Yeah, check," the Samurai replied with a small smile, not quite right. "You could be using chest bindings to hide anything in that area, plus with someone of your looks we'll never know until we check to see if you have two balls and a-"

"Enough _please_," Haku sighed in exasperation, hand reaching up to rest on his forehead and massage his temple. "I'm not willing to go that far."

Naruto hummed as she thought, then shrugged before levelling a serious look her opponent's way. "Now, I've answered the question you've asked me, gave you considerably more information as well, it is only fair that you return the favour."

Haku was silent for a moment, a long, eternal moment. "Have you heard much about the history surrounding the Land of Water... and the Village Hidden in the Mist?"

"I know a few bits and pieces," Naruto replied. "Mainly how during times of war those with Kekkei Genkai, or Bloodline Limit, were usually the first to be recruited into an army, and how eventually they came to symbolise war and death in the Land of Water. Kind of stupid, if you ask me, I always went by the idea of blaming the ringleaders, not the soldiers."

"The majority didn't see it that way, though I can't really blame them." Haku said after a moment of silence. "It may be common sense to blame those with authority. However for those on the front lines it's easier to blame those who are out to kill you."

Naruto didn't answer, she simply listened.

"I was born to a meagre life. I was the son of farmers, my father and mother loved each other... the only problem was that my mother was originally from one of the major Shinobi clans, though she had given up on that life. I inherited her clan's abilities to manipulate the element of ice, enthused and curious I showed my mother. She told me never to use it ever again, sadly my father found out. He came the next day with a group of villagers, murdered my mother in front of me, and then came after me, frightened and terrified I unleashed my power unconsciously, everyone in that house died except for me."

He wasn't like her. Haku knew what it was like to have a family, people who loved him, but he also saw that family rip itself apart. Naruto frowned as she thought through what she had been told. How can a man, a father and husband, suddenly turn on his wife and child like that because of some power she was born with, a power she had no control over attaining. She supposed that she couldn't comprehend the circumstances; perhaps the hatred for those with Kekkei Genkai was so strong in that country that it could turn brother against brother.

"I wandered on my own for a while, scavenging, trying to survive any way I could. I was about to die through one of the Land of Waters strongest winters, but then he found me." Haku looked up at Naruto and smiled. "Zabuza-sama found me. He took me in, taught me how to fight and how to survive. When he left the Land of Water I followed him and when he became a Missing-Nin I became stronger for him. He gave me purpose again, and I will lay down my life for him and his goals."

It was a mirror image of her, except in place of her was Haku, and in place of Jin-sensei there was Zabuza. They were two sides of the same coin, two halves of the same whole. Naruto managed a small smile. "We're so alike that it's scary."

"Yeah," Haku nodded in reply.

"Our backgrounds are similar, if not perfect copies," Naruto continued on, raising her head and looking at him with a sad smile. "I suppose I can't convince you and your boss to simply leave could I?"

Haku shook his head. "I don't suppose I could convince you to simply be on your way and forget about all of this?"

Naruto shook her head.

"Then we will meet on the bridge," the ice wielder said, turning to pick up his basket of herbs. "Farwell, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto watched the young man go with sad eyes, gazing upon him and seeing a reflection of her. She waited until he vanished into the forest before she replied, placing her sheathed katana into her obi sash and turning around in the direction of the bridge builder's home. She walked for a few moments before stopping and turning her head, eyes gazing on the route which he vanished in the distance.

"Farewell, Haku."

* * *

Kiba growled low in his throat as he lay on his back, looking up at the light wisps of cloud as they continued their lazy course well above them. He was exhausted, every muscle in his body seemed to be burning, and each breath he took was laboured, almost painful. His loyal and most trusted friend nudged and licked at his face worriedly, with a weak hand he reached up and ruffled the puppies head.

He looked to his right in time to see Sasuke stooped over, hands on his knees as he took in huge gulps of air. Ten meters away from him was the tree he was training against, a mass of slash marks in the bark reaching up nearly five meters, almost halfway up the trunk. Kiba scowled as he looked at his own tree, seeing that he was still a good meter below his rival. With a growl of exertion he rose to his feet, trying to ignore the burning in his legs as he grabbed onto the hilt of his kunai and glared at the Uchiha, who glared right back.

The two of them rushed right at their trees in unison, using the basic ram sign to concentrate chakra into the soles of their feet. They reached the trunks at the same time, and their feet seemed to collide with the bark at the same time. One foot followed the other, but Kiba could already feel his control slipping.

Two meters, three, four, almost there, control slipped and he released a roar as he lashed out with his kunai, feeling the bark resist the blade for a split second before giving way. He fell back, performing a backward somersault and landing in a crouch before collapsing into a sitting position and looking up at the tree.

He smirked.

The new slash mark had just placed him on par with that cocky little bastard. He heard a thump and turned his head defiantly to see Sasuke in a crouch, before slowly rising to his feet and looking up to the canopy of his own tree, nodding to himself before turning a knowing smirk to Kiba.

"Caught up with you," the Inuzuka laughed heartily, pointing to his new high point. "What do you think of that, huh!"

Sasuke's smirk was still in place, and turned back to look at his own tree without even uttering a word in response. Kiba snarled in agitation as he looked at the Uchiha's tree, confidence quickly melting away when he saw the new slash mark was almost as high as the first set of sturdy branches, eight meters easy.

"Give me a fucking break!" he roared angrily.

"Keep trying dead last," Sasuke quipped as he began walking away from the tree, turning around when he got a fair distance and with a deep breath got off to yet another running start. Kiba growled as he pushed himself to a knee before standing upright. He had discarded his hooded jacket nearly an hour ago, but he was still sweating profusely from his exertions. This training was easily some of the toughest he had ever had to do, second only to his training sessions with his mother.

"Like hell I'm going to let you get the glory," Kiba growled as he glared at the tree, his current nemesis and started running right for it again. He gathered chakra into the soles of his feet, seeing from the edge of his vision that the Uchiha just made his first step onto the bark.

His first foot landed on the bark, which gave way with a crack as the chakra connected. The Inuzuka lost concentration and landed on his back with a thud, head colliding with the dirt. Kiba groaned in pain as his hands clutched his head, legs bending as he rode out the worst of the pain. Akamaru watched, concerned as the Inuzuka slowly rolled onto his knees, just in time to see Sasuke smirking at him.

"Kind of going backwards there, don't you think dead last." The Uchiha asked with a slight tone of mocking.

"Fuck... you!" Kiba ground out through deep breathes, flashing the Uchiha the universal sign to go screw himself.

Sasuke scowled at him for a moment, before shaking his head and turning back to his tree, leaving the young Inuzuka to stew in his thoughts. Why couldn't he get this? Kakashi-sensei made it look so easy, and Sakura made it right up to the high branches on basically her first try. He had been trying to get this for almost two days, and every advance he made the Uchiha bettered it at almost that exact moment.

He slammed his fist into the dirt, ignoring his canine companions concern.

* * *

"You're getting better," Kakashi quipped as he sidestepped a downward stroke and with a single step onto the water flew backwards to dodge the follow up diagonal slash. Naruto was right in his wake, blade held diagonally along her left side as she followed him.

"Thank you kindly," the blonde countered as she lashed out with another diagonal strike, only for the Ninja to manoeuvre his body to the side, just missing the blow and with a spinning of his heel brought a spinning backwards kick towards the young woman's right side. The young woman released her right arm from her hold just in time to block the foot with her forearm. Kakashi brought his hands onto the water in response, releasing enough chakra to propel him into the air, away from his opponent, corkscrewing in midair and landing in a crouch.

Naruto flinched, waving her right forearm from side to side in an attempt to weaken the stinging sensation. The two of them had been training like this for the last three days, ever since that first short sparring match they had turned it into something of an evening engagement. Just before dinner the two of them would spar, Kakashi saying that he wanted to gauge her abilities further and see how well she was healing.

The Samurai had to admit though that training with him was helpful. She had been able to see how Shinobi fight, even if he was going easy on her which she knew without a doubt that he was. Their Taijutsu could be formidable, their Genjutsu and Ninjutsu equally so, but Naruto was learning from these sessions and when the time came to fight she would say with certainty that she would have some of her confidence back, enough to fight Haku on near equal par, hopefully.

"You're wide open, Naruto."

"Crap!"

The heel kick was delivered with enough force to send her flying back, colliding with the water and dredging to a halt. He control began to slip, and she started to submerge, then she placed a hand on the rippling surface, then the other with sword held tight, pulling herself from the water to her knees, then to her feet. She was soaked, water darkening her kimono and dripping in rivulets on her exposed skin.

"That was... refreshing," Naruto said with a light laugh. She had to admit that she enjoyed these sparring sessions. Kakashi kind of reminded her of her own sensei. He always struck first and chastised her for her lack of concentration later. She got quite a few light cuts and bruises to show for it after too.

"You're recovering well," Kakashi said, one visible eye curling up, which she now interpreted as him smiling. "But in a real fight you really shouldn't lose your focus like that, or someone could easily kill you."

"Yeah," she said in a deadpan voice, shaking herself and knowing that the water was cascading from her hair in drops. "Thanks for that."

"Anytime," Kakashi replied as he fell back into a fighting stance, a kunai appearing in his right hand as he waited. "Another five minutes then we head in for dinner. Let's kick it up a notch."

"You got it," Naruto replied easily as she brought her katana forward and fell into a basic stance. Her sword kept moving though, slowly and fluently to the right hand side until it was being held at her waist, blade diagonal to the point where the tip was grazing the surface of the water. Kakashi knew almost instinctively that she was now going for a new, more advanced sword fighting style.

She moved, and she moved fast, faster than she did before. Within a few heartbeats she was right in front of him, blade almost blurring as she brought it down in a sweeping upwards diagonal arc. Kakashi couldn't dodge, and had to bring his kunai around to deflect the strike, eyes widening marginally at the sudden increase in speed. She disengaged and spun on her heel, bringing her sword along in a sweeping horizontal arc which Kakashi found that he once again couldn't dodge, and he was to deflect it again.

Kunai and katana met, locked and grinded together as both combatants put their weight into the strike, eyes locking and gauging each other. She disengaged yet again, stepped back and lashed out with a series of almost blurring stabs which Kakashi was once again forced to move against. He dodged most, but the odd one surprised him and he had to bring up his kunai to deflect.

Kakashi pumped chakra into his legs and feet, crouched just in time to miss another horizontal slash and jumped back to try and get him some distance between him and his opponent. She had been holding out on him, that was a given. He knew this ever since he started training with her, but this was a little higher than he had thought. She was almost three times faster, and the fluency of her motions left nearly no room to do anything other than deflect, block and dodge. Her swordsmanship had drastically improved, as did her form and movements.

He made a small series of hand seals as he backpedalled, watching as she fell back into that new stance and rushed back into the attack. He just finished the last seal as she passed his comfortable distance and unleashed his technique. A small funnel of flame erupted from his mouth, exploding as it collided with the oxygen in the air. He just saw Naruto's surprised expression before she vanished from his vision.

Kakashi landed on his feet, blowing out a puff of black smoke before watching the flame quickly extinguish itself. The technique was only at a fifth of its original strength, so it should do nothing more than give her a few annoying burns. The smoke and embers cleared to reveal nothing, no sign of the kid, only rippling water and steam where the two elements collided. The Ninja waited a moment, worry nagging at him that maybe her went a little overboard. He was about to see if she was alright when he heard an explosion of water from right behind him.

He was halfway turned in time to see Naruto high in the air, once again soaked and surrounded by water, katana held over her head and humming with chakra. Kakashi knew that something was coming, and instinctively dived to the side as she brought the blade down. He saw it, a crevice appeared on the surface of the lake where he once stood, definitely almost two meters deep and continuing on a good ten meters or so before the technique fizzled out. He felt the sudden increase of wind on his exposed skin, and knew that it was some kind of elemental technique.

She had definitely been holding back. If he was correct with what he saw that was high level stuff, elemental manipulation and condensation of chakra onto an object. That was high Chūnin, low Jōnin level in Shinobi terms. Until now he was unsure if her boast about being a Chukanbushi level Samurai, but now he was convinced it wasn't a baseless show off but cold hard fact.

"What do you call that?" Kakashi asked.

"Way of the Sword: Divine Sabre," Naruto replied with a sheepish smile and an equally sheepish laugh. "Pretty pathetic name huh? I'm still trying to think of a good name for it, even though it's obviously been invented before."

"Hmm, Divine Sabre huh?" Kakashi pondered for a moment. "I think it suits quite well."

"You think so," she asked with a childish enthusiasm; "Really!"

"Really," Kakashi nodded in agreement before managing a weak, nervous chuckle. "Kind of the wrong type of thing for a sparring match though."

She pouted, "Then what was that fire thing then?"

"It was a weak fire technique, would have done nothing more than few weak burns, healable in a few days." Kakashi attempted to placate, all the while adding this new information to his knowledge of this young woman. She must have dived into the lake just before the fire engulfed her, swum underneath him then gained some momentum to burst out and attack. It showed that she had good knowledge of her surroundings and not afraid of using the terrain to her advantage, admirable qualities in a warrior and equally in a survivor.

Her father's intellectual mind and her mother's split second decision making, a deadly combination not to be underestimated. In personality though Kakashi saw that she got most of it from her mother's side, brash, playful, mischievous yet there was a higher intellect at work as well. It was almost like seeing the ghosts of both reborn in this child, _their _child. Ten years ago, even maybe five years ago it would have been too painful for Kakashi to be around, but now, with time to dull the hurt he found that he enjoyed seeing those traits again.

"You tell me to stop spacing out then you go and do it instead, Kakashi-senpai," Naruto huffed playfully, folding her arms. She had started calling him Senpai after their second training session, instead of Sensei, Kakashi supposed Senpai would be considered more acceptable considering she wasn't a green Genin, she wasn't a Shinobi at all. She was a mid level Samurai, a Chukanbushi, out of training and tackling the world.

"I think we should go in for dinner," Kakashi answered, ignoring her pout as he began walking towards the house; "Enough training for one day, wouldn't you agree?"

"Alright, alright," Naruto sighed as she sheathed her katana and followed him back to the house.

"You might need a fresh change of clothes as well," the Copy-nin advised as they continued walking, just noticing a slight shiver as the adrenaline wore off and her body began to notice that it was in soaking clothing in the chilly dusk air. "I don't want one of our allies catching pneumonia just before this confrontation."

"I think you're right."

They were halfway towards the house when a sudden barking distracting them, both looked to their right in time to see a small dog running across the lake towards them. Naruto, frowning, fell into a defensive stance, hand on the hilt of her katana before a raised hand from Kakashi stopped her. The Copy-nin flashed an apologetic look. "Don't mind him. He's one of my summons with a status report. Go on ahead without me."

Naruto hesitated for a moment, nodded her head and turned back towards the house, relinquishing her grip on the hilt of her weapon. Kakashi sighed in relief before turning back and kneeling down just as Pakkun skidded to a halt, a small scroll clenched between his teeth. Konoha had sent back its reply to his status report.

He took the scroll from his comrade, ignoring his thanks as he broke the seal and opened it, scanning the confines. He read it, reread it, eyes widening ever so slightly before he uttered a resigned sigh. He noticed a storage seal at the bottom of the letter. He rolled it back up, replaced the seal and tucked it into his right breast pocket of his armoured vest.

"Did you read it?"

Pakkun shook his head, "What's so special about this girl anyway?"

Kakashi looked in the direction of the house, seeing that Naruto was gone before turning back to his companion. "Do you remember that incident nearly twelve years ago, the Kyubi Jinchūriki vanishing without a trace?"

"Off course I remember," the bulldog replied. "You were pretty distraught, kept searching for her well after the search itself was called off. Almost got you branded as a Missing-Nin."

"That's her."

The bulldog's eyes widened, "You can't be serious. She vanished. A kid that age out in the world alone wouldn't survive a week, let alone a month. The only other possibility was that she was kidnapped and we would have heard something well before now."

"I'm positive that it's her," Kakashi replied without hesitation. "She's like a carbon copy of the Yondaime, has her mother's personality in spades and I checked her for the seal when she was unconscious. She has the seal which holds the Kyubi no Kitsune, that's proof beyond a reasonable doubt."

The canines eyes widened a little more, then he nodded his head with a gruff acknowledgment. "That does prove it beyond a doubt, are you sure it's the Five Elements seal?"

"Yes," Kakashi nodded solemnly. "I memorised that seal."

Pakkun was thoughtful for a moment, "So what is the Hokage planning?"

Kakashi's didn't answer. He simply looked up to the night sky, almost as if searching for some sign of what he should do from the world beyond.

* * *

Gatou growled low in his throat as he stared defiantly at the man before him, looking down at the small document which would guarantee this man's service to him. The arrival of these Konoha Shinobi, alongside rumours of some Samurai protecting the Bridge Builders daughter had made him worry that his current manpower were not up to the job, the defeat that the supposedly invincible swordsman of the mist had made him as sure as he could that he now needed extra muscle.

"Are you out of your mind," the businessman said angrily, noticing that his two bodyguards were right behind the man and feeling a little safer. Against a seasoned Shinobi they may be less than useless, but against this Samurai they should be more than adequate. "I doubt you're worth the price your asking for."

"Be that as it may," the stranger replied simply and calmly, if he was aware of the two bodyguards he didn't show any sign of it. "Those are my terms. You can either accept them or I will be on my way. It is your decision."

He was unassuming in appearance, dressed in a simple maroon kimono with dark red trim, black hair done up in a topknot, strong jaw and facial features and dark brown eyes. Two katana were sheathed to his hip, one in a navy blue scabbard while the other was in a bone white sheathe. The very picture of a Samurai before the Shinobi rose to prominence this side of the continent. Just another relic who thought he was worth more than he really was.

"I tell you what. You'll get half of what you ask for." Gatou said with finality.

"Then I will be on my way," the Samurai replied, promptly turning on his heel and making it a step before his two bodyguards stepped in his way. The man looked at them in annoyance, like they were a duo of flies buzzing around his ear; "Move."

"I don't think so," the silver haired man replied with a confident smirk, hand already on the hilt of his katana. "You need to be taken down a peg or two."

"Agreed," the taller, more muscular one added as his hand gripped the hilt of his own katana. "Don't underestimate us just because we don't have your fancy swords. We're Samurai too."

"Really," the man asked quizzically, looking upon the two of them questioningly. "Then what country are you from? What Dojo did you train in? Who was your master?"

"Why should we tell you?" silver hair scoffed.

"Common courtesy," the man replied with a short bow. "Allow me to start. My name is Hayate Sakamoto, trained by Seieibushi Hiruzen Minamoto of the Land of Storms."

"Who cares!" the muscular one shouted as he brought his blade up for a downward thrust, his compatriot moving to the side for a horizontal slash. Hayate sighed and in the blink of an eye acted. To Gatou it seemed like nothing more than a blur of motion, and when it ended the maroon Samurai stood behind his two hired bodyguards, two swords held in his hands. It took the businessman a moment to realise two things, one that the Samurai's two katana were still sheathed to his side and the other was the lack of any weapons on his two guards.

"Pathetic," Sakamoto murmured as he dropped the two swords to the ground, watching as Gatou's two bodyguards simply stared at their hands which were holding their weapons scant moments before. Hayate's hand was gripping the hilt of his white sword in a backhanded grip, drawing it in a smooth motion. "You call yourselves Samurai, do not insult me. I should kill you both for your insolence!"

The two men, without their weapons, were looking a little less sure of themselves and a lot more terrified. They backed up a couple of steps, completely useless now in the businessman's eyes. Gatou felt fear grip onto his heart, just as strong as when he confronted his hired Shinobi. This man was a level above his usual hired thugs, perhaps more than a level above. He radiated a confidence and certainty in his abilities, just like Zabuza.

"I will not sully my blade with your worthless blood," the Samurai snarled as he sheathed his white sword, brining his attention back to Gatou and levelling a scathing glare. "My price remains the same, and from what I have seen you are in sore need of a real warrior. Will you accept or will I just be on my way?"

Gatou was shaking in both rage and embarrassment for several moments, glaring pure murder at the two cowering forms of his two bodyguards who were supposed to be bloody Samurai before levelling a long hard glare upon the man who had disarmed them in barely a second. He took a few deep breathes to calm himself before sitting back in his chair, barely aware that he had stood up at all.

"Alright, you're hired." The Businessman managed through grounding teeth as he straightened out his suit. "Just get the job done and you will be paid in full."

Hayate nodded his head, before turning on his heel and leaving the room, closing the door behind him and ignoring the roaring and shouting as the businessman began screaming at his underlings. He walked down the corridor, and stopped, looking down the corridor to his right for a long moment before smiling.

"Better run along and tell you're master little Ninja. It seems we'll be fighting together on the bridge." He then continued his journey.

There was a moment of silence before Haku appeared from the shadows, frowning as he watched the man's retreating back. The ice Ninja felt it in his soul. This man felt the same as Naruto, only older and much stronger. He felt almost as strong as Zabuza-sama himself, but that was impossible. There was no way a Samurai could stand up against a Jōnin level Shinobi.

There was no way, right?

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **__Sorry about the length of time in writing this up, I know it's been a week longer than usual. It was actually supposed to be a little longer, but I decided against it. A bit happened in this chapter, the conclusion of Naruto and Haku's confrontation, we've seen a new player in Gatou's forces, the response from Konoha (Wonder what it is? - _-) and a little bit of an insight to the new Team 7's rivalry._

_**Author's Note 2: **__You may not have heard this already, but recently the moderators of have been deleting stories on the site, mainly pieces of work which involve sex, violence or even references to music... so I've heard anyway... I've already signed my name on the petition and I urge the rest of you to do the same. Maybe we can gain some attention and convince the higher ups to stop this madness before the site is ruined._


	6. Prelude

_**Chapter 5**_

_**Prelude**_

Kiba gasped for breathe, taking in huge gulps of air before releasing them again as he looked down at the ground far below. A small smile curled up his mouth before morphing into a grin. Across from him the Uchiha was mimicking his pose, which was what he told himself anyway, arms folded, head bowed and eyes closed as if in meditation.

He had done it, after nearly a week of torturous chakra control training he had finally done it. He had made it to the top of the tree, and was even now standing on the very tip of the immobile construct which had been his nemesis for the last week, pumping just the right amount of chakra into the soles of his feet to keep his balance perfect as he looked down at the ground far below.

Akamaru was waiting for him at the base of the trunk, looking up at his partner with his tail wagging back and forth, barking and yapping happily as if he sensed his master's joy and felt invigorated by it. Never one to pass up on a good pose, even when nobody but his trusty canine companion and the Uchiha was around, Kiba folded his arms and looked out over the surrounding forest, the wind wiping back his brown hair and billowing his unzipped hooded jacket as a feral grin stretched his features.

"It feels pretty good up here," he said at last, mostly to himself.

"Mm," the Uchiha allowed, eyes opening and flashing a slight smirk Kiba's direction. It didn't annoy the Inuzuka as much as it did a few days ago though, nothing like a sense of triumph to dampen ones short temper.

The sun was setting, releasing a torrent of reds, oranges and yellows which lit up the horizon like red wine, a lone bird cawed in the distance, echoing silently through the expanse of the forest but the two young Ninja paid it no mind.

"Let's go," Sasuke said at last, stepping over the edge and allowing himself to fall.

Kiba glared at him for a moment before sighing, too tired to argue, "Alright, killjoy."

Sasuke reached out with a hand, grabbing onto the branch and forcing it to slow his fall with a swing before he fell further, landing on the ground in a crouch. Kiba followed soon after, somersaulting in midair, deciding not to use anything to slow his fall and paying for it, he landed on his feet, which then locked in place as they absorbed the impact from falling from such a height and the Inuzuka let out a yelp of pain before jumping up and down.

Sasuke eyed his idiotic teammate for a long moment before shaking his head and moving on, knowing that after he got over his bout of insanity he would be following suit, as he began his journey back to their base though the young prodigy soon found himself deep in thought. Kakashi-sensei's deadline was soon to expire, tomorrow if he remembered, and that was when the Demon of the Mist and his comrade would make their move.

Were they ready?

Sasuke would admit that he felt equal trepidation and excitement in the upcoming confrontation, finally the opportunity to test himself, to see how far he had come to his ultimate objective to avenge his clan and kill the one who had murdered his entire family. It had been all he had strived to accomplish since that night.

He was ready, Kakashi was an elite Jōnin and he had a feeling the Samurai girl was considerably stronger than even he gave her credit for. Kiba and Sakura may be the weak links in their group, but as long as they hanged back to protect Tazuna then they might not become an issue.

Thinking about it was pointless though. Tomorrow would prove which of his opinions were right and which were not.

* * *

A deep breathe.

Calm the mind.

Centre the will.

Gather the chakra.

Raise the blade.

Concentrate.

Exhale.

Release!

CUT!

"Way of the Sword: Divine Sabre!"

It was stronger this time, much stronger.

Naruto could swear that she saw the lashes of the wind as she brought her katana down. A crevice appeared in the water before her, easily twice as wide and three times as deep as all that came before, it continued on until it came to the threshold where water met the white sandy beach and continued on, leaving a crevice of equal size as it continued on towards the tree line. When it reached that threshold the true power was revealed.

Slashes and cut marks marred the bark in a matter of milliseconds, branches were severed from their places, and leaves flew into the gale force wind in their dozens, maybe even hundreds as they were mercilessly torn from their perches and sent soaring with the wind. There was a moment of silence, and then a near deafening creak as one of the older and weaker trees fell with a resounding bang.

Naruto took a deep breath and then grinned, ignoring the perspiration covering her exposed skin as she sheathed her beloved katana in a smooth motion. It was perfect. When Sensei had shown her that technique it would take her at least twenty, maybe even thirty seconds to be able to concentrate the chakra and utilise it into such a deadly blade, not the best technique to use in combat situations if it took that long to use it.

Now it barely took a second, and Naruto knew on instinct that she was ready to add the technique to her list of potential weapons to use against her opponent. She still remembered the training session's sensei put her through to master the sword, and the instruction used to create this deadly strike was one of the last she would learn under his continuous guidance.

It was simple in hindsight.

A deep breathe.

Calm the mind.

Centre the will.

Gather the chakra.

Raise the blade.

Concentrate.

Exhale.

Release!

CUT!

A calm mind was the key and this was the usual base of all techniques utilised by the Samurai caste of soldier, a calm mind, an iron will and the ability to never falter in battle was the mark of a true Samurai, once that was proven then a Samurai acquired the true symbol of their rank, they acquired their armour.

Naruto looked forward to that day, images of her in plate armour with her coveted _Sentō Tsurugi _in hand was her usual daydream. She shook her head, dispelling the fantasy as she turned and began walking across the water towards Tsunami's house. The incoming finale between them and the assassins was coming, and she was now sure that she was ready for the confrontation. She had been surprised last time, but now, with how hard she had trained she was sure she would be more of a match for Haku.

A feral grin curving her features Naruto patted the sheathed katana at her waist lovingly as she crossed the threshold between the cool waters of the lake and dry, sandy land. She continued walking, destination clear and undaunted.

* * *

The air was tense, easily able to be cut by a knife.

Haku watched the exchange between Zabuza and the Samurai known as Hayate, watching as both simply starred into each other's eyes with no fear nor uncertainty, neither able or willing to back down as they sized each other up, attempting to glean their strengths and weaknesses from this first meeting alone.

Zabuza's hand was twitching, unconsciously calling for the hilt of his prized sword; all the while Hayate's right hand was on the handle of his own katana, caressing it like it was the prized artefact Haku knew it was. Both of these men had the same aura of strength, experience and authority in their stances and their gazes. They were both leaders, commanders, and neither was willing to back down for the sake of the other.

"So," Zabuza spoke up at last, surprising Haku. "You're Gatou's newest hired hand?"

"Hired hand," Hayate mimicked with a scowl crossing his features. "I am more than simply a hired hand, and you best remember it."

"I care little about this," the swordsman Shinobi replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "All I care about is that no one gets in my way when I am about to complete my task. My mission is to kill the Bridge Builder and eliminate any ability this small nation has for a rebellion. That is my mission, what is yours?"

"Exactly the same," Hayate replied with a vicious grin. "To destroy all threats to my employer and to guard his life with the very swords on my waist; that is my reason for being here, that is my mission and that is how I get paid."

"So much for honour," Zabuza mocked.

"The moment you Shinobi came to power the thoughts of honour and duty went to the dogs," Hayate replied simply. "In the west it is another matter, but here, in this portion of the continent taking any job you can is important to survival."

Hayate said this without fear or thought of reprisal. He was so sure in his own ability and power. Haku saw in this man the same spirit he saw in Naruto, only older and sturdier. Naruto was young and naive, still believing in the codes she had been taught. This man had seen the world and knew how it worked, his boyish dreams had been trampled upon and sullied, leaving him with the simple will to survive and the knowledge that in this place the way of the Samurai was dead, to survive he needed to adapt.

"If you will not yield to my authority then you will die here," Zabuza warned, hand already on the hilt of his prized weapon.

"You think I am intimidated by this display," Hayate replied with a shrug, hand on the hilt of his katana as he fell into a basic sword fighting stance. "Bring it on, I welcome a challenge by Shinobi who think they are Samurai."

"Stop," Haku called out simply yet with enough authority to be heard. "This is neither the time nor the place for such a confrontation. We are here to face the Shinobi and the lone Samurai who guard the Bridge Builder, now is not the time to fight each other!"

Both men glared in the ice wielders direction, but they were met by an equally steely gaze. Haku knew he was right, absolutely sure of it. If it was just him and his master facing them the odds of success were not certain, Kakashi alone had already proven himself to be more than a match for Zabuza, and the abilities of a young Uchiha and Inuzuka, especially clan heirs, were nothing to sniff at either, adding Naruto into the mix brought the odds slightly in their favour and having this man with them brought the advantage clearly in their corner.

"The child has a point, though I am loath to say it." Hayate conceded, fully sheathing his katana with a click. Zabuza scowled behind his facial wrappings, but nodded his head and relented, releasing his hold on the butcher's knife sheathed to his back. "For now it seems that circumstances dictate that we work together, whatever dispute we have can be settled after the task is completed and we get paid."

"Agreed," the former swordsman growled in response.

The Samurai nodded, before spinning on his heel and walking out of sight, leaving Zabuza and Haku behind. There was a moment of silence, before the swordsman of the mist spoke to his subordinate. "You are getting bold, Haku."

"I apologise, Zabuza-sama," the ice wielder replied in apology. "However we need this man at the moment, his skill will bring the advantage back to our favour."

"If he doesn't decide to kill us first," Zabuza replied as he walked in the opposite direction. "Get some sleep, Haku, you will need it for tomorrow."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama."

* * *

It was early morning, and a blanket of mist could clearly be seen outside. Kakashi watched it for a long moment before bringing his attention back to the events taking place around them. Sasuke, Sakura and Kiba were getting ready, already in their clothes and checking their weapons in preparation to escorting Tazuna to the bridge.

Tsunami was eyeing the scene from the kitchen, having just finished washing up the plates and silverware used for breakfast. "Be careful all of you, you hear."

The Genin grinned and nodded with their usual jovial reassurances, Tazuna laughed and Kakashi waved his hand dismissively as he walked towards the door, the bridge builder and Genin right behind him. It took Tsunami a moment in her early morning mind to realise that someone was missing from the scene. "Has anyone seen Naruto? I could swear it was Kiba's turn to guard the house today."

Kakashi turned just as his hand reached the front door. "She tired herself out training last night, finally went over her limit with that regime of hers it seems. So we left her asleep in her room, wait until around midday to wake her up unless there's an emergency."

Tsunami frowned, "She's not going to like that."

"Rest is important," Kakashi replied as he opened the door and walked outside, followed by Tazuna and his students.

Tsunami sighed as the door closed, walking back towards the kitchen to continue her usual early morning routine. "So she finally knocked herself out huh?"

She found it highly unlikely. True, she had only known Naruto for a short amount of time, and Tsunami knew that the girl liked to push as far above her perceived limits as possible, but knocking herself out in the process. The mother thought about it for a long moment, before sighing in resignation. It actually made a heck of a lot of sense, off course the girl would collapse sooner or later with her training regime, sometimes she would consider it ludicrous what the aspiring Samurai put herself through.

She walked towards the stairs. It was time to wake up Inari. She would wait a couple of hours before waking the Samurai girl up, Kakashi was right about sleep being important.

* * *

Kakashi was wary.

They had been walking the usual route to the bridge, but the mist wasn't dissipating like it usually did. If anything it was intensifying. The closer they got to the bridge the thicker and thicker the mist seemed to become, almost immediately the Jōnin was on edge, one visible eye flashing left and right even though his Genin and Tazuna seemed to be none the wiser, continuing on as normal.

Kakashi could feel it. The mist was laced with chakra, and a chakra he was now familiar with as Zabuza's chakra. The Copy Ninja knew that this was about the right time for the infamous swordsman to fully heal from his injuries and prepare for a counterattack on the bridge, but he had expected him to wait an additional day or two to think up a strategy.

Within a handful of heartbeats the group had made it to the edge of the bridge, dirt road slowly giving way to concrete and infrastructure. The mist weakened slightly as they stepped onto the bridge, just to allow them to look upon the carnage littering the concrete surface of the construction site.

Tazua's remaining employees and construction workers were scattered everywhere, either lying on the ground unmoving or groaning in pain and agony. There was no serious amounts of blood on the ground, so Kakashi guessed that they were more unconscious than dead, but he couldn't be sure at this point and he was unable to check.

The enemy was already here, he could feel them, even as Kiba, Sasuke and Sakura fell into basic formation around Tazuna to protect him. He felt proud that they pulled the defence off without him ordering it, but caste it aside for now, opting to keep his focus on what direction their opponents would be coming from.

A throaty chuckle gave away his position, and their opponents appeared through the mist at the other side of the bridge. Zabuza was in the centre, his famous sword strapped to his back, arms folded like an unmovable object, the supposed Hunter Ninja was standing to his right hand side, wearing the same garb and the same white mask of a Hunter-Ninja of Kirigrakure.

To his left was the unmistakable form of a Samurai, garbed in a basic kimono, two swords sheathed to his side, a wide brimmed straw hat over his head, keeping his features hidden from the Shinobi, his arms were also folded and Kakashi could just about make out that his mouth was set in a thin line, completely professional and serious, mark of a skilled and experienced Samurai.

"Kakashi," the former swordsman said with a mocking smirk, visible even under his bandages, "Fancy meeting you here."

"Zabuza, I was wandering when you would show up." Kakashi said in response, noticing from the corner of his one visible eye that his Genin had already circled around Tazuna, kunai in hand and ready to protect him from any harm. He was proud of them.

"Well Haku it looks like your Samurai friend has decided not to honour us with her presence."

"So it would seem, Zabuza-sama."

The Samurai remained silent, not taking part in the conversation between the two Ninja. Kakashi could just make out the man's eyes from the shadows of his straw hat, and he saw twin pits of darkness starring right back. His attention wasn't on Tazuna nor the Genin team, it was on Kakashi and only Kakashi.

The Copy-Nin narrowed his one visible eye in response. He did not like this.

"I take it you won't see reason and just hand the bridge builder over to us, Kakashi?"

"My position has not changed." Kakashi clarified.

"Very well," Zabuza stated before turning his attention to his apprentice; "Haku."

"Hai, Zabuza-sama."

The masked Ninja stepped forward. Kakashi saw the intent behind this straight away, and had just noticed that Sasuke was taking a step forward in response. The Uchiha was right by his sensei's side in an instant, and Kakashi noticed that the hand holding the kunai was shaking. It wasn't like Sasuke to be scared, especially with the fact that he and Kiba had faced off against the younger Ninja's master and outsmarted him.

Zabuza seemed to notice this as well, chuckling in amusement. "And here I was thinking that the students of the legendary Copy-Nin were something special. Look at that one, he's shaking."

"Heh," Sasuke allowed in response, a smirk pulling up his lips. "I'm not trembling in fear, I'm trembling with excitement."

Kakashi, reassured by his student's words, curled his eyes upwards as he smiled. "Go get him, Sasuke."

Sasuke's smirk grew wider as he stepped forward. "Hai, Sensei."

The hunter mirrored his opponent's movements, and before long the two were circling each other, sizing up each other's movements and waiting patiently for their opponent to make the first move. Zabuza and Kakashi did not move from their spots, like their students sizing each other up and daring each other to make a move themselves. The Samurai didn't seem interested in the exchange at all, calm and quiet, as if he was waiting for something, or someone.

Behind Kakashi the other two students of the trio, Kiba and Sakura also watched the exchange. Sakura, seemingly ignorant of the potential life and death situation unfolding and more interested in watching Sasuke in action, Kiba was the opposite, watching the unfolding duel with a half snarl on his features, Akamaru looking down from his perch with a worried expression.

"Tch, why does the stuck up asshole get to have all of the fun."

A kick to the shin by the female member of the team made the Inuzuka double over in obvious pain.

"Owe," Kiba howled, leaning down to massage his leg while sending a glare Sakura's way, who responded with a glare of her own. "What the hell!"

"Sorry, didn't see you there."

"Like hell!"

* * *

Inari was startled awake by the sounds of chaos and destruction below. He heard the unmistakable sounds of plates and glasses being smashed, of pots and pans being thrown to the ground, of windows being shattered and of the pleading voice of his mother.

The boy jumped out of his bed as fast as he could, all fear temporarily forgotten and replaced by another type of fear, fear that his mother was in danger. He opened the door and left it open as he rushed down the hall and made his way down the stairs towards the sounds of chaos and destruction far below. The noises continued to grow in intensity the closer he got to his destination, and a fear was beginning to grow in his chest, fear not for himself or what he was getting himself into, but fear for his mothers wellbeing.

He didn't even think of himself, but what he had seen the moment he hit the base of the stairs made him stop in his tracks, and once again the fear seemed to change course from fear to his mothers wellbeing to fear in his own.

The kitchen and living room were a mess of shattered glass and pottery, strewn cooking utensils and pieces of furniture. His mother was on her knees in a corner, a delicate hand covering her right cheek where one of their assailants had hit her, glaring balefully at the two who had invaded and destroyed their home.

The two men were quite different from each other. One had silver hair partially tied back by a bandana, wearing a simple drab gray kimono with a sheathed katana at his side. A confident smirk was on his face as he dropped a plate to the floor and watched it smash. The other was a full head taller, considerably more muscular with tanned skin and black hair done up in a braid. He wore a faded maroon kimono with white bindings underneath, and also with a katana at his side.

It was the silver haired one who noticed him first, and the cold smirk he gave Inari stopped the boy in his tracks. "Well, well, well, look what we have here."

Tsunami's once defiant expression melted into one of pure terror the moment she saw Inari at the base of the stairs. The boy's terrified dark eyes met hers for an instant, "Mom?"

"Inari," she just managed.

"Heh," the silver haired man's smirk grew. "You're kid huh? I wonder what we need to do to have you cooperate, maybe cut off a few fingers, maybe a foot... or maybe a head."

"Stop,"

The silver haired man turned to his larger compatriot, "Get him for me."

The larger man nodded his head and began walking towards Inari, who was frozen in fear. His hand was just barely a few inches from Inari's hair when his mother shouted at him again, this time with more force. "Don't touch him!"

"What are you going to do, lady?" the silver haired one asked, turning with that condescending smirk in hand, a smirk which left him the moment he saw what she had in her hand. It was a kitchen knife, and it was held to her throat.

"You want me right?" she asked, afraid but also determined. "Let my son go, or I'll die here. I doubt your boss would want that."

The man's smirk morphed into a glare, hand which was once on the hilt of his sword released the weapon and were raised in surrender. "Put the thing down, sweetheart, and we'll just take you and leave the kid."

Her hand did not slacken on the knife, and with a growl of defeat the thug turned to his larger compatriot, "back away from the kid, Shugo."

The man, Shugo, frowned, "His daughter or his grandson Itsuki. Either would do the job."

"He asked for the girl moron," Itsuki glared right back.

The man frowned again, but sighed and relinquished his potential grasp, bringing himself back to his full height and nodding his head. The silver haired man nodded back and turned his attention back to Tsunami. "There, we'll leave the kid as long as you come with us, without any fuss, alright?"

Tsunami was hesitant, but eventually nodded her head and dropped the knife. Shugo was quick on his feet for such a big guy, traversing the distance between them in a heartbeat, roughly grabbing the mothers arm and forcing her to her feet. Inari was unable to move, watching in abject terror as they handcuffed her arms behind her back and began leading her out of the kitchen and out of the house.

"Mom," he muttered, and Tsunami heard him.

"Stay there, Inari. I'll be fine, I promise." She said with a warm, reassuring smile.

Just like that she was gone, and Inari was alone. He slowly found his sense of movement returning, and was suddenly taking in huge gulps of air, completely unaware that he had been holding his breath until now. His thoughts soon turned from fear and terror to helplessness and loathing. These men had been here, trashed their house and taken his mother hostage. What had he done? Nothing, he had just stood there and let it happen.

"_You don't believe in hero's kid?"_

Inari's breathe once again caught in his throat as the voice of that Samurai girl suddenly filled his mind. In a flash he remembered the argument he and she had on the rooftop a couple of days ago and for the first time he seriously pondered her words.

"_There's no such thing as heroes. Those who believe so, they just die in the end."_

"_We all die kid," Naruto replied. "It's inevitability at its very finest. It's just a question of when and where we meet our end. You're father, he stood up for what he believed in, didn't allow someone else to trample all over him and instead of honouring his sacrifice you simply give up? You're mother hasn't lost hope. You're grandfather hasn't given up. Are they fools?"_

_That caught Inari off guard. Was his mother and grandfather a fool? His grandfather had been undermining Gato for years, secretly gathering the supplies and people he needed to begin constructing that damned bridge. He was fighting Gato. "What can I do anyway...? I'm just a kid."_

_Naruto chuckled, shaking her head before pointing towards Sasuke, who looked a little disgruntled that he was being dragged into this little conversation. "He is a kid, his teammates are kids... if you want to stretch it a little I am still a kid. Yet they managed to hold their own against Zabuza Momoichi, one of the almost mythical Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, and I fought his protégé and survived to tell the tale."_

"_You're different," Inari snarled back. "You've been trained, I haven't."_

"_Training only counts for so much," Naruto replied. "I once saw a farmer, armed with no more than a pitchfork, beat off a bunch of bandits on his own. Was it because he was stronger or better trained than them? No, it was because he had an iron will that they would not get into his home and hurt his family. He fought for that goal, and he won."_

_She stood up, dusting herself off. "The first step is knowing exactly what you fear, next step is admitting it and the next step after that is conquering it. When the chips are down, and the life of someone you love is on the line will you cower and watch them get hurt, or will you stand and fight."_

"When the chips are down," he muttered to himself as he slowly got to his feet, finding with surprise that his trembling had just about stopped. "When the chips are down_, _and the life of someone you love is on the line will you cower and watch them get hurt, or will you stand and fight."

In that moment his fear left him. He understood Naruto's words now. Would he just allow them to take his mother away, or will he stand up and try to stop them? It was an obvious choice. All traces of fear now gone he put one foot in front of the other, and broke out into a run towards the front door of his home.

They will not take his mother the same way they took Kaiza.

He wouldn't allow it.

Inari rushed out the door and onto the pier connecting his home to the mainland. He immediately spotted his mother, between the two thugs who had taken her, hands still bound behind her back as they led her forward. His blood boiled. He would not allow these thugs to led his mother away in chains.

"Hey you jerk's!" he shouted with more than enough force to get their attention. The two men turned in slight surprise, while the sudden look of terror befell her mother's face. "Leave my mother alone!"

"Well, look at this," the silver haired man smirked as he took a step forward, falling into a basic drawing stance. "The little brat just grew some balls."

"Inari," Tsunami called, face turning white as if she had seen a ghost. "No, don't you dare touch my son or I'll-"

A hand to her neck stopped her reply, and the young mother fell to the ground unconscious. "Damn, that's better."

"Mom!"

Inari's hands balled into fists as he watched his mother on the ground, hurt and unconscious, how dare they touch her, how dare they hurt her. "You jerks!"

"That's the spirit," the silver haired man smirked as his hand grasped his katana. "Bring it kid."

Inari only saw red at this point. They hurt his mother, they were trying to kill his grandfather, how dare them. He roared a battle cry and charged forward. The silver haired man smirked as he drew his katana and held it idly at his side, not even seeing a need to use a stance to deal with an insolent little kid, just holding the blade straight at him should be enough.

"Good on you, kid."

He stopped when he heard the voice, opening his eyes in time to see a new figure standing directly behind the two thugs, dressed in her usual bright kimono and wide brimmed straw hat, her katana sheathed at her side and her long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail by a long flowing red ribbon. A smile of respect adorned her face and her eyes gleamed with pride.

"I knew you had it in you."

The two thugs turned in surprise to meet this new threat. The other was drawing his katana while the leader of the two was pointing his blade right at her. "Who the hell are you!?"

Naruto ignored them, gaze shifting completely to Inari. The smile on her face and her subsequent nod made Inari see exactly what had happened. He had just broken his own beliefs. He had decided to do something he had never thought to do against Gato and his corporation. He decided to resist and she knew he would do it.

Inari felt a little angry with what she did, but it didn't last. It was replaced by the situation, and by the still form of his mother lying on the timber strips of the pier. "Naruto, Mom is-!

"She'll be fine," she cut him off with a smile. "I promise."

He believed her.

"Who the hell are you girl!?" Itsuki asked again with a snarl of anger.

Naruto didn't move, but her smile took on a more mocking tone, "What you aren't, a real Samurai."

The two looked at each other, smirks adorning their faces as they brought their swords to the ready. "A real Samurai... you know I really am getting tired of your cocky attitudes. Samurai seem so high and mighty, yet here you are with no armies, no purpose, just wandering mercenaries like us."

"Maybe in the east, but in the west it's a different matter." Naruto replied, unfazed by the thugs taunts. The two charged her in synchrony, swords over their heads for a strong pair of downward thrusts. Inari wasn't sure when Naruto drew her own katana, it was just a blur but there was a flash of metal and a clash of steel as she brought her blade up just in time to block the two swords. They clashed and locked, both men putting their weights into the struck and looking on in consternation as they saw that this teenage girl took the blows without any recoil.

Her smirk was still in place, and it infuriated them. "Huh, is that all you got?"

"You bitch," the tall one growled as he disengaged and brought his sword down again with all his might, but it met nothing but air. "Wha-"

She wasn't in front of them anymore. She was behind them, and they found themselves unable to move or even breathe. She had her scabbard in one hand and her katana in the other, which she began to slowly sheathe, still with her back turned to the now immobilised thugs. The grind of her blade returning to its scabbard was clearly heard, stopping with just a few inches of blade still visible.

"Ten Second Reprieve: Cut."

A click as the katana was fully sheathed.

An explosion of blood as the two thugs jugular arteries were cut open, a stream of red escaped their throats as the two of them remained standing for barely a moment before falling to the ground in a duo of meaty thuds. Naruto began walking, missing the stream of blood by millimetres as she reached a downed Tsunami and knelt beside her, just a few moments ahead of Inari.

"Mom."

"She'll be alright," Naruto said as she checked her friends pulse. "They just knocked her out."

Inari was relieved, but also weary as Naruto looked back at the two bodies, soaked in blood; "Naruto."

There was a plop as she fell into a sitting position, hand massaging her head as she looked down at the timber surface of the pier, eyes distant and forlorn and the smile she wore was just as forlorn if not seemingly lost.

"Naruto?"

"That's the first time," she said before he could say another word, looking up at him with a smile which didn't reach her eyes. She was breathing harder than one would expect her too from such a short and decisive fight. "That's the first time I killed someone."

She looked down at her sword, and Inari found himself speechless. He wanted to say something, anything to her but found any words of reassurance dying in his throat. He didn't know the feeling. He had only stood up to the thugs. He hadn't been the one to take their lives, Naruto had done that for him.

"Naruto."

She stood up suddenly, surprising Inari. A hand reached out and ruffled his dark hair and he looked up to see a reassuring smile, the same smile his mother had given him before she had been lead away, fake smile to try and console him. "I'll be fine."

_No you won't. _He found himself thinking.

"I'll be just fine."

"It wasn't your fault," he found himself saying, and he felt her stiffen even though it was just her hand on his head. He spoke with more wisdom than he thought he had. "You killed them, but you saved me and mom. They made their choice and you had to act."

She managed a smile, one a little more real but still with plenty more emotion. She needed more than his assurances. "I need to go to the bridge. I can think more about this when the ordeal is over. There's a job to do now and they need my help."

"To save my grandfather?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Do me a favour," he asked.

She nodded again, hesitantly but it was a nod.

"Come back with them," he said as he looked up at her, and Naruto's startled look was replaced by a soft smile, a truly soft smile. Inari felt his cheeks heat under such a smile. It was so beautiful. "Just don't die."

"You," she said as way of reply as she ruffled his hair again and began walking. He turned to watch her go. Naruto made it five steps before half turning to give him another soft smile. "You will grow up to be one hell of a man one day. Get your mother back into the house, and protect her you hear?"

Inari could only nod in reply, cheeks reddening into a blush at her words as she turned and walked another few steps before vanishing from sight in a blur of motion, as fast as the Shinobi he had seen earlier. Inari remained rooted in place for a few more moments, watching the spot where the Samurai his mother had 'hired' had last been.

Maybe heroes did still exist after all.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__It took a while to update anything, and I apologise for that. My work on the Good Left Undone has been postponed because of work and because of my loss of a muse on the subject. I'm starting to fear that I'm losing my edge in storytelling, but thankfully it came back just enough for me to write up this chapter which has been in limbo for a few weeks to a month, hopefully this is the beginning of a resurgence in my muse._

_**Author's Note 2: **__I hope I got the characterisations down alright, not just in Inari and his sudden understanding and need to protect his family but also in Naruto and her suddenly realising after the fact that she had just killed someone, so that others might live mind you but it will still have a part to play in her character later on, how she deals with her decisions and actions will have an important role in this story. _


	7. The Bridge

_**Chapter 6**_

_**The Bridge**_

Sasuke moved slowly, carefully circling around his opponent and watching as his adversary mimicked his movements. The masked Ninja mirrored him almost perfectly, a senbon needle in his hand in place of the kunai Sasuke held in his. They were like that for a handful of seconds, each daring the other to make the first move.

When the move was made it was made as one, both closed the gap and clashed in a blur of sparks as the senbon and kunai scraped against each other, both Ninja pushing their weight against it in an attempt to test each other, to see who would win this first round of a long game. They disconnected at the same time and lashed out again at the same time, kunai and senbon clashed again, then again and again as both opponents stabbed, blocked and countered.

It was during the sixth clash that Haku brought up his free hand and began making signs. The effort caused the Uchiha's eyes to widen marginally. Was he using... it couldn't be... it was, he was setting up a technique using only one hand to make the needed seals. Sasuke was so surprised by this that he didn't notice the moisture in the air around them condense and crystallise into dozens of ice needles.

With a simple twitch of his finger the frozen projectiles flew down, their destination clear and undaunted. Sasuke disengaged and jumped back, watching as the needle like projectiles followed him, imbedding into the ground in his wake as he backpedalled. Finally the barrage came to an end and the Uchiha took a few more steps back before stopping, looking up to see the ice wielder exactly where he was before.

"You're pretty good, for a Genin." The masked Ninja stated calmly and easily. "But you might as well give up. Our mission is to kill the bridge builder, not you."

Sasuke ignored him, throwing his kunai and watching as the Ninja easily moved his body to the side, allowing the projectile to whip past his black bangs. The Uchiha used the chance to charge forward, using his freed hands to blur through a series of familiar hand seals, conjuring up the one and only technique his father had ever taught him.

He took a deep breath, feeling the energy resonate from his stomach up to his throat and brought his right hand forward, index finger and thumb coming together to make an o and releasing a burst of flame, which morphed into a great fireball right in the ice wielders face. The flames held for several seconds before fading away, and Sasuke breathed out a puff of black smoke.

"_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu_!" (Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique.)

The smoke didn't last, seemingly consumed by the mild mist which his opponents mentor had utilised. There was nothing, no charred body, nothing. Sasuke wasn't surprised, if he could be beaten by such an obvious full frontal attack then he wasn't the Ninja he had been led to believe he would be facing.

The problem was where he had disappeared too.

"Where are you?" Sasuke murmured, eyes darting left and right as another kunai fell into his hand.

"Here."

Sasuke jumped, performing a perfect back flip and landing on his feet in time to see a trio of ice needles imbed themselves into the concrete of the uncompleted bridge. The ice wielder was nowhere to be found, using the mist to his advantage. Another trio of ice needles fell upon him, and Sasuke easily brought his kunai up to block the two, watching them shatter when they met the steel of his weapon.

"Hiding in the shadows like a coward," Sasuke growled under his breath.

"It is what we Shinobi do, utilise any advantage to win." The ice wielder replied, voice coming from nowhere and everywhere, even when he spoke Sasuke couldn't pinpoint his rough position or direction. "I thought it was one of your first lessons."

"So, you're so afraid of a Genin that you would hide in the shadows," Sasuke quipped, hoping his mocking would bring the older Ninja out in the open.

He spun around just in time to see the ice wielder rush right at him, throwing a duo of senbon needles as he closed the gap between himself and the Uchiha. Sasuke blocked both of them, but his attention was diverted for a crucial moment. The masked Ninja was barely a few steps away, and the Uchiha had a gapping opening in his guard. Another senbon needle appeared in his enemies hand from his billowing sleeve.

He hastily disengaged as a trio of shuriken whizzed by Sasuke's right ear, slicing through the air. The Ninja was able to sidestep and jump back, but the Uchiha just noticed that one of the knives had grazed his white mask. Kiba rushed forward from the ever increasing mist, his canine companion at his side and a feral snarl on his lips.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Sasuke growled low in his throat.

Kiba growled right back, "Saving your life, dumbass."

Sasuke growled as he threw a kunai at the masked Shinobi, only to see him perform a twirl in midair, missing the blade by millimetres before retaliating with a trio of senbon. He jumped away, watching as they imbedded themselves into the ground where he once stood.

The senbon user was fast, agile and capable of performing moves which seemed to limber and flexible for any man he had ever seen. But he was definitely not a close combat fighter. Rather the Shinobi was keeping a distance between him and Kiba, out of reach and firing projectiles at them constantly. Either he or Kiba got tired and one of them, namely the loser, slipped up, or their opponent ran out of weapons.

Grabbing a few more shuriken Sasuke threw them at the masked Ninja, watching in annoyance as he effortlessly dodged every one of them. Then he saw it, and his eyes widened. He recognised a hand seal when he saw one, kept close to their assailant's chest as he spun in midair, back several feet from the soil.

"_Sensatsu Suishō! _(Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death!)"

Needles appeared in the very air, using the mist to gather water and solidify it into a deadly weapon as sharp as a well kept senbon needle. Sasuke just barely saw it, and only because of the glint they made when what little rays of sunshine caught them.

They were everywhere.

"Kiba," he called, gaining the Inuzuka's attention. No time for any petty insults now, they're lives were at stake. "Run!"

A single motion of his enemy's right middle finger sent the water needles rushing into action. Sasuke saw Kiba hit several times, crying out in pain before he attempted to dodge. Sasuke managed for a handful of seconds before one hit him just under his left shoulder blade. He gritted his teeth against a surge of hot pain and kept moving, weaving back and forth. By the time the barrage had ended he and Kiba were doubled over, gritting their teeth against the pain and taking in huge gulps of air at the same time.

"This really sucks," Kiba grunted before groaning in pain.

"Yeah," Sasuke replied, mind working overtime to try and come up with something, anything that would help. Where was Sakura when you needed her? The Shinobi was bent into some kind of stance, at least three senbon protruding from his knuckles as his arm leaned back. He wasn't firing though.

He was waiting for them to make the first move.

"How long can it take you to do that beast mimicry?" Sasuke asked. They needed to get in close and engage him in a fistfight. He doubted this masked Shinobi was much of a close range fighter with the way he'd been dancing around and out of their reach.

"A couple of seconds," Kiba replied, giving Sasuke a funny look.

"I'll give you those few seconds," the Uchiha replied, ignoring his quizzical stare. "Then you and the mutt give me some time to toast this asshole."

Kiba looked mildly affronted that he would call Akamaru a mutt, but clicked his mouth shut and nodded his head. "Alright I'm in."

Sasuke nodded in return, "On three."

There was a moment of silence, no count.

"Three!"

Sasuke took off, charging their opponent with one of his last kunai drawn as Kiba jumped back and whistled for Akamaru. The little white puppy was by his side in an instant, and immediately knew what his owner was going to do. They had practised at home for months. Kiba made a simple concentration seal, flaring his chakra before activating his_Shikyaku no Jutsu_. He fell on all fours, features becoming feral, nails morphing into claws, canines in his jaw enlarging. Akamaru moved precisely, performing a _Jūjin Bunshin (Beast Clone)_ to turn himself into an exact clone of Kiba. The two were now entirely identical.

They finished their move without a moment to spare, Sasuke had seen them and jumped back, entrusting them to take over. Kiba and Akamaru moved with precision born from months and months of training, rushing forward on all-fours, completely identical to each other in movements. The combination of Jutsu drastically increased Kiba's speed and fighting ability, making him almost as fast as Akamaru.

They were on the masked Shinobi before he knew what hit him, clawing and biting. The three fell over in a heap of flailing limbs and flickering fangs. Then the enemy just fell away, becoming nothing more than a pool of water, a water clone. Sasuke cursed under his breath, getting back to his feet and looking around in high alert.

"Damn it where did he go."

They didn't notice until it was too late. The receding mist helped, keeping their vision obscured until their opponent completed his trap. Mirrors appeared all around them, showing the three of them their reflections. Sasuke looked around, confused. There were a total of twenty one mirrors, forming together into what looked like a dome all around them. It took him barely a moment to realise that they were trapped.

The enemy had them.

"_Makyō Hyōshō_! (Secret Jutsu: Demonic Ice Mirrors!)"

They were trapped, Sasuke realised. They had thought that they had him snared, only to find that he had been planning the perfect counter to their little attempt, and now he had them right where he wanted them. His image appeared on the mirror right before the three of them. It was difficult to tell with the mask but Sasuke knew he must have been smug.

"I'm sorry," the Shinobi stated, and the voice made the Uchiha pause. There was compassion in the voice, sympathy. It made him growl. He did not need nor did he want his enemy's sympathy. "But I can't play around with you anymore."

* * *

Kakashi had trouble seeing it in the gloom of the mist, but his chakra sensory skills were still working just fine. He knew an elemental jutsu when he sensed one, and one of such mass and density couldn't be a good thing. He could just make out a dome like structure in the misty gloom, and the temperature was definitely dropping.

"What kind of technique is that," Kakashi murmured under his breath.

His attention was drawn to a dry chuckle from Zabuza, and the Copy-Nin brought his eyes back upon the legendary swordsman of the mist, who had his hand on the hilt of his Kubikiribōchō, the legendary Executioners Blade. "You probably already know this, but Haku has a special Kekkei Genkei, the ability to manipulate ice. It's that ability which is why I chose him as my subordinate. He's beaten Jōnin level Shinobi with that ability."

Kakashi's one visible eye widened slightly upon hearing those words. That kid had beaten Jōnin level Shinobi with those techniques of his. He had seen a glimpse of the masked Ninja's abilities when he intervened during their last confrontation so he knew that he was skilled. If this was true, if Zabuza's wasn't lying to him then his students were now on their own, against an elite Ninja on his home ground.

He looked at the dome, as if considering whether to go to their aide or remain here. If he left to try and help them then Sakura and Tazuna would be left defenceless against the swordsmen of the mist and the Samurai flanking him. Even if he remained where he was he wasn't sure if he could stop both of them. He had a good grip on Zabuza's abilities, but the Samurai was a complete unknown to him, and that made him uneasy.

Zabuza caught on, "By all means go to them Kakashi, leave us with the bridge builder. I promise we won't rough up your other student too much."

Kakashi did not move, a kunai appearing in his hand as he watched Zabuza draw his sword and lean it against his shoulder, ready to move at a moment's notice. His eyes did not leave that of the Copy-Nin. The Samurai was silent for a long moment, and finally began to move, hand on the hilt of his bone white sword.

"I grow tired of this waiting," the Samurai said in slight irritation, drawing his katana from his sheathe and holding it to the side at a ninety degree angle, other hand slowly coming up to grip the end of the hilt as he walked. "The bridge builder dies, and my work here will be done."

Sakura jumped in front of Tazuna, a kunai in hand and determination written on her face. Kakashi commended her bravery, even if it was mostly instinct like the incident with the Demon Brothers. He made a few steps to the side, free hand pulling up his headband to reveal his Sharingan eye, ready to bring himself between the duo and the approaching Samurai.

Zabuza had other ideas.

"Don't forget that I'm here, Kakashi," Zabuza stated, raising his huge blade and pointing it right at the Copy-Nin.

Kakashi had no choice but to face the approaching swordsman and bring up his kunai to block the downward stroke of his blade. There was a clash of metal and a spark as Kakashi once again found himself under the full weight of the Missing Ninja's blade and weight, all the while watching the Samurai slowly close in on his opponent, slowly gaining speed from a walk to a jog, sword moving fluently to his front.

"Sakura, Tazuna, run!"

He was within a few meters of them, and Sakura didn't have a chance.

There was an explosion of smoke, right between Sakura and the Samurai. Kakashi's eyes widened at the sudden event, and even the Samurai began to slow. Within the blink of an eye a blade exploded from the black smoke in a silvery blur just barely noticeable, but the Samurai was forced to skid to a halt and bring up his own katana in time to block. There was a clear clash of blade against blade and the Samurai was forced to jump back.

The smoke cleared, and Naruto was standing between the two opposing forces, blade held idly at her side and a triumphant smile etched onto her slightly tanned, whiskered features. "I'm late, I know. But as the saying goes the hero always arrives at just the right moment."

Kakashi blew out a sigh of relief and brought his weight forward, forcing Zabuza to jump back and skid to a halt, surprise etched onto his features as he took in the Samurai girl. "You are late, Naruto."

Her grin became sheepish, "Sorry, Kakashi-Senpai."

"Who the hell is that!?" Zabuza growled, realising quite quickly that his advantage of numbers had just been made null and void.

"That is a good question," the Samurai added as he took a step to the side and brought his sword back up into a basic stance. "I take it by your attire and weapon that you are a Samurai, correct?"

"Yup," Naruto chirped back, eyes seemingly closed in a wide smile.

"May I have your name?"

"You first," Naruto countered lightly.

"Very well," the man replied with a light sigh. "My name is Hayate Sakamoto, trained by Seieibushi Hiruzen Minamoto of the Land of Storms."

Naruto whistled in appreciation, "A student of Minamoto-dono, member of the Land of Storms Shogunate Military Council."

Hayate was silent for a moment, "You seem to know something of western politics, which leads me to believe you weren't trained by the wannabe Samurai this side of the continent."

Naruto tilted her head to the side, a small smile gracing her lips. "You could say that. Where are my manners, it's my turn to introduce myself isn't it?"

Hayate gave a brief nod in response.

"Naruto Uzumaki," she began, offering a majestic bow, "Trained by Jin, formerly of the Land of Blizzards."

"Jin," Hayate murmured with a frown. "Are you trying to tell me that you are one of the twelve students of the owner of the Deviant Blades?"

"Yup," Naruto replied as she fell into a combat stance, blade held over her head to the right and pointed right at the Samurai. "I am Naruto Uzumaki, student of Jin of the Twelve Blades and protector of the Bridge Builder and his family. In short if you want to get to him... you got to get through me first."

"Killing one of the Students of the Twelve Blades would be quite an honour." Sakamoto cracked his neck as he too took up a sword-fighting stance. "I will be sure to return your blade to him."

"How thoughtful of you," Naruto replied dryly and moved forward into the attack, Hayate met her halfway and the two blades met each other and locked together before quickly disengaging each other.

The two moved around each other, two blades meeting again before disconnecting. Both spun on their heel, bringing their katana around at the same instant in the same fluent motion, another clash and another stalemate. Hayate backpedalled and lashed out with a horizontal low swing to slice through her legs, Naruto jumped, bending her knees and lashed out herself with a high horizontal cut which Hayate ducked.

Naruto landed on her feet and danced to the side, hearing the swish as the katana came down in a vertical slash and countered with a diagonal slash of her own which the older Samurai dodged by moving his body to the side. A midlevel slash from Hayate, an upper diagonal cut from Naruto. Both opponents showed their speed and fluency in calmly and precisely avoiding the others slashes and stabs.

"So that's how Samurai fight, eh?" Zabuza muttered just loud enough for Kakashi to hear, both were still weakened from their battle earlier and neither was willing to make the first move. They were in a stalemate.

"Quite beautiful isn't it, almost like a dance," Kakashi quipped back, one eye kept on Zabuza while the other was keeping an eye on the sword fight unfolding before him. It was like he was watching history, of a time when the Samurai were the only true power on the continent and the Shinobi was nothing more than a myth. "I thought you would recognise the beauty of the fighting style which the swordsmen of Kiri emanate."

Sakura was also watching the confrontation with a mixture of fascination and trepidation at what she was seeing. Naruto was younger than the other Samurai, and his very presence was stifling, yet she kept up with him, matched him blow for blow. Her eyes so sure, tied back blonde hair billowing with her movements and the light breeze, blade fluent as it blurred liquid silver to meet her opponents thrusts and strikes.

Her face was a smile, azure eyes twinkling with excitement as she blocked and counterattacked with blurring thrusts and slashes, dodging and sidestepping her opponent just as quickly as he did her. The two blades were blurs of liquid silver and light as they slashed and cut through the air with ease and purpose. So this was a battle between Samurai, like ancient times, no Jutsu, no illusions, just two opponents with swords drawn.

Naruto and Hayate met again, swords clashing and locking, putting their weight into their blades as their eyes met, showing their intensity and will to each other. Hayate smiled at that moment, actually smiled. "Shinobi don't understand this feeling."

"Hmm?"

"They cling to their precious abilities, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu and others... we have learned these as well, it was required for the Samurai to continue to exist, but they just do not understand the basic way of the sword. Two opponents, locked in a life of death dance for supremacy, one mistake, one slip could mean the loss of a limb or a life." The blades clinked as the two opponents continued their clash. "Beautiful, is it not?"

"I agree, few Shinobi truly understand the way of Bushido, the way of the sword." Naruto replied with a smirk. "To them swords is simply something to hack and slash with. There are few who understand that they are meant for more than that."

Both eyes met and locked, and with a sigh Hayate brought more weight into his sword, forcing Naruto to disengage and jump back. She skidded to a halt, coming down in a crouch and bringing her sword back up to protect herself against Hayate and his next strike, yet the man remained where he was, looking down at her with a heavy look.

"I see," the older Samurai sighed. "You do not know your katana, what it is truly capable off as a Deviant blade, do you?"

Naruto frowned at him.

"Have you spoken to it yet?" Her widening eyes were all he needed to know. He drew his second sword from it's sheathe and fell into a dual stance. "I see such a waste. Allow me to show you what a blade of that type can do, it's not nearly as powerful as a Deviant Blade, but it will do against a novice like yourself."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly, "You have a blade similar to mine?"

"Not quite." Hayate smiled as he brought his blue sheathed sword in front of him, blade seemingly splitting his face and upper body in two. "The blades are specially crafted to take in and manipulate a specific element, not nearly as powerful as the possessed blades you possess but it should be enough to deal with a novice."

Naruto's eyes narrowed considerably, "I think that was an insult."

"Take it however you want, young one." Hayate replied as he raised the sword over his head. Naruto could tell that he was pumping some chakra into it, the sudden glow only made to confirm her worries. "I call this... _Way of the Sword: Dragon Flame_!"

He brought it down and an explosion of flame came forth from the blade of his katana, travelling fast and morphing into a dragon's head, maw open and ready to devour Naruto whole. Naruto saw it coming, but she was still awed at seeing an Elemental Blade in action. She brought her sword over her head and channelled chakra into her blade until it felt just right, just like training.

It was a few seconds away when she brought the sword down, roaring the name of her newest technique with everything she had as if it would add extra strength to her attack. "_Way of the Sword: Divine Sabre_!"

A blade of pure wind came forth as a sickle of condensed power, slicing right through the flaming head and breaking it into two equal parts which passed right by her, close enough for her to feel the heat as the severed halves passed, losing form and dissipating. The blade of wind continued on, and Hayate sidestepped just in time to dodge, but still felt the lashing wind as the elemental strike passed right by them and left an eight meter long groove in the concrete.

"Impressive," Hayate murmured as he watched the destruction, turning around to see Naruto coming right at him with a serious expression. "You already know how to channel chakra, and how to release it through your sword."

He came at her again, with one sword held in front and another in a backward grip, ready to utilise the extra blade to his full advantage. Naruto immediately found herself backpedalling as he advanced within striking distance, suddenly his movements changed, he struck with the first blade then spun to lash out with the second, forcing Naruto to step back again and again as she defended herself.

She blocked one strike, twisted her upper body to the side to evade the follow up and spun around to regain her balance, narrowly missing a diagonal slash from the first blade. Naruto seemed to be completely on the defensive, outclassed, yet her smile was still in place and her eyes still gleamed. The excitement was oozing off of her as she jumped back to gain some distance, a moment of respite which was not given as the older Samurai followed relentlessly.

Naruto danced back, blade moving to just the right place at just the right moment to block and redirect the continuous strikes from the dual katana, so absorbed in blocking the blades that she didn't notice him lower his form and spin. She was expecting another spinning slash, so was completely unprepared when his sandal clad foot connected with her midsection, sending the air from her lungs and hurtling her high into the air.

Hayate watched, taking the time to remove his wide brimmed straw hat from his head and tossing it to the side. Naruto curled up, performing a backward somersault in midair and landing on a pillar at the side of the bridge, water behind her, railings to her sides and her opponent in front, the young Samurai took the momentary respite to catch her breath.

Hayate watched her for a moment, and then took a step forward.

A hand raised, "Hold on a moment."

The older Samurai frowned, tilting his head.

"I'm not looking to back out or anything," Naruto called. "I just need a moment to shed some weight."

"Shed some... weight?" Hayate asked, eyeing her kimono for a moment before shaking his head; "By all means."

"Thank you."

She started by removing her straw hat and tossing it to the side, Hayate, as well as Kakashi and Zabuza, watched it with fascination as it fell like a stone, slamming into the concrete with enough force to kick up dust. The next thing she did was bend over, lifting up her hakama slightly to reveal ring shaped objects clipped to her ankles. She removed these first, then pulling back the sleeves of her kimono, revealing another two ring shaped objects around her wrists, unclipped them.

Kakashi blinked, "Training weights?"

"Training weights," Zabuza groaned in disappointment. "You can't be serious."

Naruto sighed in contentment, holding two weights in each hand as she spread her arms out. "That feels so much better, light as a feather."

With that she dropped the weights.

They feel like stones, and when they landed on the concrete surface of the bridge there was an explosion of dust and a loud series of cracks. It caught everyone's attention, and when the dust faded the four weights were in the centre of two small craters. Zabuza and Kakashi looked at it, eyes widening slightly, Hayate simply tilted his head to the side, a small smile gracing his own features as he nonchalantly shook his head.

"Yup, she's one of his alright."

"That feels great, I feel like if I step off this thing I could fly." Naruto was dancing on her tiptoes, jumping up and down with a content smile on her face, like she had just shed a great burden which, let's be honest, she did. It took her a moment to realise that her opponent was still waiting for her. "Sorry, thank you for your patience."

Hayate sighed as he fell back into his dual katana stance, "Maybe now you'll be more of a challenge."

Her smile turned into something of a smirk that only Sasuke could mimic, "Oh you have no idea."

She was gone, she vanished, there was a blur and she was gone. It took barely a second for her to traverse the distance between herself and her opponent. She was a blur of motion, as fast as the wind as she lashed out with a series of flashing strikes and slashes, Hayate suddenly found himself on the defensive. She had become so fast, almost like a blur to his vision, a blur of bright colours and a flash of a descending blade were his only warnings.

He allowed himself a smile.

She was definitely his student.

She was gone. He felt a presence and spun around, looking up in time to see her right above him, legs folded and sword over her head. She brought the blade down, unleashing a blast of cutting wind which would have sliced him too pieces had he not run to the side. He channelled chakra into his sword and lashed out, releasing a blade of fire in response to her Divine Sabre. She twirled in midair to evade and landed on the ground. He was already on her, but she blurred out of his reach and countered with a series of stabs and slashes of her own.

"Phantom Step?"

The words left his mouth as a feint whisper, a technique that was equally famous and infamous amongst the Samurai. The ability of speed beyond speed, speed beyond the wind, speed so fast that the practitioner was a blur, no, a flash before his opponent before he delivered the fatal blow. Only one Samurai out of hundreds of thousands had ever mastered the full ferocity of such a technique, and that was its founder.

This girl's teacher.

He had another name before he became master of the twelve Deviant Blades.

That name was what was known amongst the Samurai nations of the west, a name feared and respected, awed and dreaded. The strongest Samurai born in almost ten generations, who had gained the impossible and become an S-class independent operator with a flee on sight order on both sides of the Samurai/Shinobi divide.

Had this girl, youngest of his apprentices and newest user of one of the Deviant Blades mastered the technique which made him famous? The legendary Phantom Step.

No.

She hadn't.

She was a mid-level practitioner at best.

It was feint, but he could still feel where she was going to strike from, and he moved one of his two katana to counter each and every time. She was fast, but not fast enough for an experienced soldier to know where she was going to strike from. He blocked and deflected her every strike, every stab and thrust, on nothing more than instinct. She was fast, almost a blur, but Jin was a flash and you didn't know where he was going to strike from.

Hayate knew exactly where she was going to strike from. He simply had to remember himself at her age, how he would have attacked and countered and he had her. He had come from the Dojo run by the man who had fought and almost bested this girl's teacher. His sensei knew how to counter such a technique, and he passed it onto his students just as Jin had passed his own techniques onto them. The ability to remain in one place and sense one's movements, to channel chakra into the earth so that he could feel each and every movement, however slight, that was the ability passed down to him and the other students of his sensei, the perfect counter.

In the blink of an eye he reacted, bringing one of his two blades up to counter her sudden thrust and hold her in place while he reversed his grip on his second katana and drove the pummel into her midsection, almost at the exact same moment. Naruto doubled over, mouth open and eyes wide as the hilt slammed into her stomach with enough force to bruise ribs, eyes wide and mouth open, spit flying.

"You're not there yet," Hayate said to her as he brought his first sword up for a downward stroke. "And now you never will be."

"Naruto!"

A glint of silver.

Hayate saw a glint to his right, and quickly disengaged the final strike and jumped back, just in time to evade a huge blade which imbedded itself into the concrete ground with a metallic, sudden thud. It was a huge weapon, easily the same size as an average human being, long hilt, matched by a blade almost three times as long and serrated on both ends, a Claymore, it was a Claymore. The older Samurai fell to a knee and skidded to a halt, while Naruto forced herself to breathe and spun around in time to see the huge blade and the chain attached to it.

A growl resounded from the mist, and the pitch black chain connected to the pummel of the huge sword went taut, forcing the blade from its place and sending it flying back in the direction it came from, right into the waiting right hand of a tall and lean individual. He wore a simple faded lavender kimono and hakama, sleeves cut at the elbow as he hauled the huge blade to rest on his shoulder with little physical effort. Sandy blond hair fluttered in the misty wind, a wide, confident and almost condescending smirk was on his face and his dark eyes were hidden by a pair of black sunglasses.

"What do we have here," the sandy haired man chastised with a grin. "Did little sister bite off more than she can chew?"

"Please don't antagonise her, Shizuma." Another, much calmer voice, responded from the mist.

"Bite me pretty boy!" Shizuma responded with a growl.

Another man stepped into view, a head shorter than his comrade, dressed in a navy kimono and hakama, three black sheathed swords were at his waist, a piece of straw was clamped in his teeth, messy black hair, pale skin and deep dark eyes greeted those who looked upon him, arms crossed and hidden by the long, billowing sleeves of his kimono, he was calmer, yet he gave off the same aura as his taller comrade, an aura of power.

Izaya seemed to ignore his taller comrade, casting his gaze upon the entire battlefield, a small smirk of his own tipping up his lips. "Well you seem to have put yourself into a real mess here, Naruto."

"Don't ignore me asshole."

"Just out of sensei's watch for six months and already you're in the middle of a diplomatic incident, that makes all of his students doing something like this six months after being cut loose, thanks for keeping up the tradition." The shorter of the two said with a smirk, a smirk which Naruto returned with a sheepish smile.

"Forgot all about that, honestly." She replied as she stepped back, scratching the back of her head.

Both older Samurai were smiling at her before turning their attention to the situation. To the Samurai who was even now falling into a defensive stance, to Kakashi and Zabuza, in a deadlock and to the dome of ice in the very centre of the bridge.

"When you said you needed help, you weren't kidding." The shorter said as he stepped forward.

"I wasn't expecting this guy, to be fair." Naruto replied, pointing the thumb to Hayate.

Hayate moved quickly, attempted to strike at Naruto before the other two could react, to knock her out of the fight and even the odds, at least a little. There was another blur, no, a flash, and the taller of the two was there, between him and his target and both of their swords were crossed. Hayate's blade looked so thin and delicate compared to the huge claymore held in one hand by his new opponent, as easily as a dagger.

He grinned widely, like a wolf eyeing a carcase before he spoke. "Go, those kids in the dome need help. I'll deal with this moron."

Naruto hesitated for a moment, before nodding and taking off towards the dome, leaving the two Samurai behind.

"I'm surprised you let her go." Hayate muttered.

"Eh, you think I need her or that guy over there to beat you," Shizuma asked with a wicked smirk and a step forward. A step which Hayate was forced to back off against, it was so strong it forced him to step back. "Don't get conceited, you little punk!"

* * *

Naruto took off running towards the dome of ice. Kakashi knew what Zabuza would do before he even did it, and acted accordingly. The legendary swordsman of the Mist broke off his stalemate with the Copy-Nin and moved to cut her off, huge form of the Kubikiribōchō held at his side, ready to slice her in two.

In that moment, Kakashi acted on instinct, chasing after the Demon of the Mist with a new intensity. He closed the gap as the swordsman Shinobi slowed enough to bring his blade up for a sweeping arc which would have cut this young girl, his sensei's little girl, in two at the waist. When he blocked it he felt his blood boil more than anything, how dare this man strike against the child of the two people who mattered to him the most.

His sensei, and the woman who treated him as more than a weapon, who treated him as a person.

How dare he strike at their child!

"What!?" Zabuza growled.

"Surely you didn't forget about me, eh?" Kakashi asked nonchalantly before his features turned deadly serious. "The time for standing idle ends here, Zabuza."

Naruto turned her head at that moment, and smiled at him.

It reminded him of Kushina, and Minato, all in one. That was all that Kakashi needed, save his students, honour the memory of those he respected and loved the most, which was what he thought as he watched her go. It didn't matter if she moved on her own or under the flag of the Land of Fire. It didn't matter.

Be yourself, just be you, Naruto.

* * *

Shizuma was right. Naruto wasn't nearly as good as those two at sensing chakra signatures and she doubted she had that ability in her arsenal, but she could feel it on an instinctual level that Sasuke and Kiba were in serious trouble. The blade of her katana was already glowing a dim whitish blue light as she closed the gap between herself and the mirrors of solid ice. She could already feel the chill prickle her exposed skin as she jumped high and channelled the necessary chakra into the sword.

"_Way of the Sword: Divine Sabre!"_

The blade of chakra exploded from her katana, smashing into the exposed ice mirrors and leaving a long diagonal groove along the surface, which cracked, then shattered into dozens of pieces. Naruto landed on her feet and sped through the opening she had created, skidding to a halt as she came into the interior of the dome.

The light spewing forth behind her dimmed before closing entirely and the young Samurai turned around and felt a slight chill crawl up her spine when she saw that the mirrors she had shattered barely a few seconds before came back together seamlessly and perfectly, exactly as they were before she unleashed her technique.

She let out a breath, noticing the wisps of mist before shaking her head with a groan. "Well that's not good."

"Naruto?"

She turned, eyes widened, to see the two boys she had entered this frozen hell to save. They were both on their knees, a couple of meters apart, senbon and icicles pierced their exposed skin, making the two of them look like unnatural imitations of porcupines. Naruto knew better, and saw that each needle had struck an area meant to numb and disarm a target, those two should very well be immobile and defenceless at this point.

"What are you... doing here?" Sasuke asked through gritted teeth.

"Saving you," Naruto replied with more confidence than she thought she had, now that she looked around she saw exactly what this dome's purpose was. She didn't know the specifics of how it worked, but she knew instinctively that it was a...

"This... whole thing," Kiba ground out through deep breathes. "This whole Jutsu is a... large trap... in this place he can... hit you from anywhere."

Naruto just then noticed Akamaru zipped into the front of his jacket, just the little puppy's head was visible, but he looked as beat up and defeated as the two Genin where. "Is he alright?"

"No better than us." Kiba replied with a laugh wracked with coughs.

"Listen," Sasuke growled. "He can merge with... the mirrors!"

"So, you've come have you?" the soft voice asked as Haku seemed to step through the mirror at the far end of the dome. The mist covered him slightly, but Naruto could make out the drab kimono and hakama, the Hunter-nin mask and his hair done up in a kind of topknot.

"I said we would have our rematch didn't I?"

"True, but this is not like that incident in the forest." Haku replied as he raised a hand, three needles appearing between the fingers. "Last time I had the element of surprise, but here, in this space I have much more than that. Here I have the full power of my Kekkei Genkei, you are at a greater disadvantage here than at our last confrontation."

"I thought you learned this from last time, Haku." Naruto said, head lowered for a moment before rising to show eyes as strong as steel. "I don't back down and I don't back out. I'm a fighter. I'd rather fight than run, even at such a disadvantage."

"You knew this was a trap?" Haku asked, eyes narrowing behind his mask.

"I knew this dome was for much more than an elaborate decoration, not much more than that though." Naruto replied with a sheepish smile.

Haku was silent for a long moment, taking in her words. "Back down, if you promise to stop protecting the Bridge Builder I will allow you to leave here unharmed and you can take those two with you."

Naruto grit her teeth, insult clearly visible in her eyes. "I won't back down. I made a promise and I intent to carry it out. I never go back on promises and I never go back on my word, that is _my _Bushido code and I will be damned to a dozen hells before I go back on it."

"Back down."

"I'm getting sick of that. Stop treating me like some damsel who doesn't know where she is or what she's doing. This is my honour we're talking about here, and to a Samurai that is one thing we cannot live without." Naruto growled, and Haku could swear he saw her eyes glowing maliciously as she spoke, canine teeth seemed a little longer and the marks on her cheeks seemed to morph into crevices. "For such an insult I will not rest until I've beaten this lesson into you, never question a Samurai's honour!"

"You won't back down?"

"Not a chance."

"Then I am sorry," Haku apologised, clutching his senbon needles a little tighter. "I am afraid I cannot back down either, we Shinobi also have our honour when it comes to a job and that is to carry it out. I am sorry Naruto, but I must end you as a threat."

She fell into a defensive stance, both hands on the hilt of her sword, held beside her face and pointed right at her opponent as he once again melded with the surface of the closest ice mirror. She grinned, feeling the hairs on her exposed skin prickle in anticipation as she waited for him to make his move. She had waited and trained for this rematch ever since he had beaten her in the forest almost a week ago.

A rain of senbon needles came down.

Naruto took a deep breath, bringing her sword into position for a diagonal stroke, pivoting her foot and releasing her breathe. "_Way of the Sword: Divine Sabre!"_

She used a diagonal sweeping arc, releasing a long blade much stronger than any she had released until this moment. The rain of needles either, in the case of those made of metal, changed course, or those made of ice, disintegrated. The blade of wind continued on, and struck the upper echelon of ice domes, shattering them into hundreds of shards and pieces. To those fighting outside an entire portion of the dome disintegrated with a great crash and an explosion of cold mist.

Haku looked at the section of space where his domes once were with a wide-eyed mixture of fascination and dread as the shards of ice came falling down on mass. Naruto grinned as she took in a deep breath, and brought her sword back into a ready stance. "My first lesson, stop underestimated me!"

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **__A few things about this chapter first of all. Most of you will notice that I have used the Shinobi techniques in Japanese and the Samurai techniques in English. That is on purpose, meant to show the differences between the two mindsets. Just wanted to clear up the confusion, as for those in Japanese I'll be putting the translations for them in brackets beside the techniques, most will find this me just being difficult, but I always liked the Shinobi techniques spoken in Japanese._

_**Author's Alert 2: **__Some of you may find similarities with my two Samurai characters, Shizuma and Izaya. That is intentional. I plan on introducing the twelve carriers of the deviant blades as favourite characters from anime and manga series. These two are kind of mixtures of a few, in appearance and personality think of them as Izaya Orihara and Shizuo Heiwajima from the anime Durarara... though maybe their relationship would be more along the lines of Ichigo and Renji from Bleach. As for their fighting styles well... take a look at their choice of weapons and figure it out._


	8. Knowing a Name

_**Chapter 7**_

_**Knowing a Name**_

He was so different from the girl he had met before, from his manners right down to his fighting style. There was no finesse or technique in his stance or his strikes, only brute force and power. He swung his claymore in wide diagonal and horizontal swings, each one with such strength that it sent the smaller swordsman reeling.

Hayate brought his right blade up to block the next onslaught and was forced to stumble as a result. He turned in time to cross both of his katana and block the next vertical strike downward, a strike which forced him to a knee to fully absorb the impact. A second strike made him lose grip of his second sword, watching it fly off across the concrete surface.

Shizuma lashed out with another vertical strike downwards, and knowing he would not be able to block it he went down and rolled, missing the blade as it left a small crevice in the concrete. He rolled onto his feet and immediately changed tactics, from that of deflect and block to one of evade and dodge. He ducked the high horizontal slash, sidestepped the follow up vertical strike and backpedalled from a third diagonal stroke.

"_Way of the Sword: Dragon's Breath_!"

He swung his sword, unleashing a powerful blast of flame against his opponent, the blast had so much power behind it that it scorched the surface black and would turn anyone in its way into a smoking pitch black carcase. It cleared to reveal nothing but scorched concrete.

No body.

No nothing.

He was above, wicked grin on his face and claymore held in one hand, arm held back and ready to thrust it into his chest. Hayate jumped back, watching as the blade imbedded itself a quarter of the way into the concrete. He was completely unprepared when Shizuma used the hilt to steady himself and slam a sandaled foot into his midsection with such force it burst the breathe from his lungs and sent him flying back, losing his grip on his last sword as he landed hard onto the ground and rolled to a halt.

The Samurai took in deep breathes of air, feeling his lungs burn from the effort. His ribs were definitely bruised at the very least, maybe one or two cracked. He fought the pain easily and forced himself to his feet, knowing that he looked dishevelled. Shizuma was approaching, grin in place as sword leaned against his shoulder, glinting in the low light of the mist.

"Come on, a little more spirit would be nice." The large man growled as he closed the distance between them. "Where's that spirit and confidence you had when you were fighting little Naru? At least make this worth my time!"

"Worth your time," Hayate asked as he raised his right hand and clenched his fist, a thirty centimetre blade exploded from the billowing confines of his sleeve. "I think I can oblige you there."

Shizuma whistled in appreciation. "A Bladed Gauntlet, nice one."

"You'll find I'm full of surprises!" Hayate growled as he rushed the larger Samurai, hearing the screech of the tip of the blade as it scratched along the concrete surface of the bridge. He lashed out with slash after slash, stab after stab. He smiled each time he managed to use his smaller stature and speed to his advantage.

With each exchange he managed to get around Shizuma's guard, leaving shallow gashes and cuts on his exposed arm, his side and even his legs, blood was trickling from the dozen shallow wounds and the larger swordsman was breathing a little heavily. He had jumped back from a wild swing and skidded to a halt, crouching as he watched the larger man fall to a knee, sword piercing the ground to use as a crutch.

He turned his attention to his partner, leaning nonchalantly against the railing of the bridge, looking off into the murky distance with no apparent interest at all. It made the Samurai frown, wasn't he worried about his comrade? Shouldn't he be entering the fight to lift the pressure?

"You're friend doesn't seem to be concerned with your wellbeing." He asked the kneeling form of his opponent, who spat out a gob of blood as he uttered a guttural laugh.

"Him, you think he would be stupid enough to jump between me and my target?" the huge man asked as he used the claymore to force himself to his feet, head bowed.

Hayate raised a brow, "Even when you're about to die?"

"Especially then, he knows better than to try and help me in such a situation... it would turn into a three way brawl. I don't like help." He made it to his feet, forced the sword from its foundation in the concrete and looked at him.

It wasn't the look of a defeated man, not even close.

The grin was broad and wide, he reached up with a free hand to remove the sunglasses revealing dark orbs twinkling with either excitement or a lust for blood, perhaps both. He dropped his glasses and heaved his sword over his shoulder to rest. "You look like a man who could kill me, bring me to the edge of life and death. Will you be able to do it I wonder?"

Hayate looked into his eyes with a new trepidation, a great chill crawling up his spine as the truth of this man's mindset came to him in a terrible clarity. "You're insane."

His response was to laugh, a wild, uncontrolled bout of laughter which prickled his skin. This man didn't care if he lived or died, he only lived for the joy of fighting, for the adrenaline of being in a life or death struggle.

He was a step away from being categorized as...

"Are you a Berserker?"

He had heard of them, men and women who when in battle felt no pain, nor fear for their deaths. They kept fighting until either their enemies were defeated or they died from a combination of their wounds and blood loss.

In response to his statement Shizuma cracked a wider grin than before, if that was possible. "Nah, I'm just a despicable human being, one who enjoys fighting to the fullest. It's what I live for, to finally come across a foe that could beat and kill me. Tell me wanderer, are you such a man?"

The glint in his eyes was beyond the realm of sanity; it was that of a man who had left his sanity and conscience behind years ago. "You really are insane."

"That is a manner of perspective." Shizuma shouted back, raising his weapon up into the air. The Claymore began to hum with power, blade glowed a feint iridescent whitish glow. "Now I will show you what one of these swords can do, are you worthy of being in the forefront of such a blade, are you?"

In a heartbeat Hayate felt it; a subtle power seemed to envelope the area behind him, subtle yet terrible. He released his grip, allowing his blade to return into the gauntlet. He rushed for his nearest sword, imbedded into the surface and pulled it before moving to collect his second blade. Hayate noticed that the huge man didn't move to intercept him, eyes simply following him and grin still very much in place.

He reached down, grabbed his second sword and spun to face the wielder of a Deviant Blade, falling into a combat stance and waiting for the inevitable storm which was to come, very few could stand against a user of a fully mastered Deviant Blade and from the stories he's heard each receiver has proved able to utilise it.

"Good, I want you at you're most able to take this on, wouldn't be fair otherwise." He took in a deep breath and the power tripled, quadrupled from a subtle tingle to a weight falling upon his shoulders, making it hard to move, hard to breathe. "Crush him, _Sōtō Kanazuchi_!"

* * *

Haku thought he knew Naruto. He thought that with their first encounter he had a grasp of her abilities, strengths and weaknesses. He thought he knew her. He was now considering the possibility that perhaps he was wrong.

She was faster now, so much faster. Her form was a blur of motion before him as he unleashed salvo after salvo of ice needles, each salvo connecting with nothing more than concrete instead of bone and flesh. The icicles whipped through her hair, left small tears in her clothes and came within a hairsbreadth of ripping across skin.

Haku was having trouble keeping up with the Samurai, eyes flicking back and forth in a vain attempt to keep her in his sights. She would blur, vanishing from his perception for a second before reappearing a few meters away from where she stood a moment before. Moving ever closer to his perimeter of mirrors, each one engraved with his image.

There was another blur, following by a flash and a crack. She had closed the distance within a heartbeat and rammed her katana into one of his mirrors up to midway along the blade. The mirror of crystallised ice cracked, then shattered into dozens of pieces. Naruto stood there poised, smirk on her features before blurring out of the way of another volley of needles.

Naruto reappeared and backpedalled to regain her balance, watching with a frown as the shattered pieces of the mirror rose from the ground and merged back together, recreating the mirror as flawlessly as it was before.

"So it's not going to be as easy as simply breaking these mirrors, huh?" Naruto asked no one but herself.

Another hail of ice shards came soaring down, and Naruto vanished in another blur of motion. Naruto continued moving, feeling the burn on her muscles as well as her chakra as she continued to push herself, to continue moving lest she be riddled with needles of ice cold death. He was not going to stop until she stopped and collapsed from fatigue, then he would finish her and the battle would end.

How was she going to win?

It was obvious that if she continued to destroy his mirrors he would use his own chakra to fill the holes, weakening his own strength and stamina. It was a matter of who was going to collapse first, and Naruto was using far more chakra in her efforts than Haku. Kiba and Sasuke were still immobilised, and were unable to help her.

Perhaps if she used another Divine Sabre, but that would drain her chakra more, and she would be unable to continue her level of speed. That wind technique used up a hell of a lot of chakra in its implementation, enough to be clearly noticeable to her. She had used far too much in the technique already.

A shard pierced her skin, and Naruto released a hiss of breathe in pain.

"You're getting slower," Haku said calmly, voice nowhere and every where all at the same time. "It's only a matter of time."

Naruto blurred away again, taking in a deep breath as she went. She was definitely feeling the burn now, from her limbs all the way to the back of her throat.

How was she going to win this?

How was she going to fight off the lion in its own den?

"_You already know my name. It is simply a matter of calling it. Even someone of your limited intelligence can understand that, eh?"_

She frowned, eyes scanning the area around her to try and find the source of the voice. It sounded young, arrogant and haughty. She blurred away again, more out of instinct than anything, missing another trio of ice cold needles as she brought her attention back to the world around her.

Who was that voice?

Where did it come from?

They were questions which gnawed at her subconscious, but were pushed to the back of her mind as she began utilising her own rudimentary version of her sensei's infamous Phantom Step technique. She couldn't keep this up for much longer.

Haku knew this too, it was only a matter of time. She stopped firing off her wind technique some time ago and she was beginning to slow slightly in her sudden great speed. It was only a matter of time before he caught her, but he didn't have the time to wait. He could feel the new signatures outside of his dome of ice mirrors, powerful and stifling, two matches for his master and the Samurai fighting alongside them.

He needed to end this.

His eyes fell upon the two Shinobi trapped in the cage with her. The ice wielder frowned, finding his next few moves unsavoury but also seeing little choice in it. He needed bait against the Samurai, and they were the perfect catalyst.

"I do apologise, but I am afraid I am out of time." Haku stated, bringing out a trio of metal senbon needles. "It is time to end this, Naruto."

Naruto frowned at him, before her eyes widened in realisation before her head darted in the direction of her two comrades, both of them still struggling with their bodies to try and force themselves to move. Haku drew back an arm, and then fired off the needles. Each mirror image released their salvo, creating a hail of needles upon the two unsuspecting victims.

Naruto found her feet moving, rushing to their aide and bringing herself between the two boys and the hail. She raised her katana, and began to weave the blade, hearing a mass of taps as her blade blocked and deflected the mass of paper thin pieces of steel. She couldn't block them all, and began to feel the sudden whipping as they passed by her and the sharp pain as some imbedded themselves into her skin.

Kiba and Sasuke could only look on; eyes wide as they watched her continue to weave her blade, deflecting senbon, being pierced by the metal needles in their place, glints of light brought their attention to the concrete ground, piercing the surface as if it were paper.

"Naruto," Kiba whispered, a drawn out whine from Akamaru accentuating his thoughts of helplessness.

"She stood in the way. Didn't she know it was a ploy?" Sasuke asked, looking at this girl and also cursing his own impotence. His efforts to get his arms and legs to move to no avail only made him angrier.

The hail of weapons stopped, mist cleared, and Naruto became visible, dozens of needles impaling her shoulders, arms and legs. She was breathing heavily, chest heaving, blood trailing from the corners of her mouth. She fell to a knee, plunging her katana into the ground to use as a crouch, stopping herself from falling on her face. Her breathe left her in bursts; pain wracked her body, a continuous burning throb across the very circumference of her skin.

With gritted teeth she forced herself to try and stand, clattering from her katana showed the very strength of her exertions as she forced herself to her feet, forcing the blade from the ground, her form swayed from side to side, showing that she was fighting unconsciousness, yet through shear will she remained on her feet.

Haku tilted his head to the side, motion mirrored by all of his facades. She was stubborn, unbelievably stubborn. He would find it something to admire if he wasn't on the opposite side. "I apologise for using such tactics, but this is a fight with a time limit."

The voice struck her again, but she was too weak and tired to look around for its owner; _"You stupid, insufferable girl, why will you not listen!?"_

A small smile tugged at her face, "Eh? I suppose you can't trust those whose art lies in deception."

"_You know my name, you know who I am; you know the words to summon me... say them!"_

"Not surprising, considering we were originally created to do a Samurai's dirty work." Haku replied evenly. He drew another three needles from his sleeve. "We're getting off topic again, though."

Naruto smirked as she took a shaky step forward, "Agreed."

Haku's expression was unreadable as he threw his senbon, another hail of weapons came crashing down. There was no way she was able to dodge this one. The girl simply closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

The needles flashed in the low light, a hundred glints of metal came down.

There was a shrill series of meaty impacts, but Naruto felt no pain. She opened her eyes to see a shadow between her and the aftermath of the deadly barrage. She recognised the red and white fan on the back of the shirt, the symbol of the Uchiha clan. The body swayed before falling back towards her, and out of instinct she caught him.

"Sasuke?" He coughed, blood dribbling from the corners of his mouth, his body covered with senbon needles dug in midway deep, two of which had imbedded them into his neck. "Why? Why did you do that!?"

"I don't know," Sasuke gasped in response to her question, looking up at her before grimacing in pain. "My body just moved on its own."

Naruto could only look down at him, before looking up and casting a glare of sheer murder upon her opponent, the one who had done this. Her eyes met the emotionless curved openings of blackness which hid his eyes, and they promised retribution for what had just happened here.

"Damn it," Sasuke sputtered with a choked laugh. "I didn't want to go out this early. There's someone who I have to meet, someone who I have to kill... for the sake of my family, for my clan, I must get revenge on this one person."

Naruto was silent as she listened.

"I can't anymore. I'm going to die here, so please, if you ever find yourself fighting against a man named Itachi Uchiha, please kill him, for me, my family and the clan he killed, please!?" Sasuke's right hand gripped onto the sleeve of her kimono, eyes not pleading but at the same time asking her to help him in performing this task.

"Alright," she had no idea why she agreed, she just did. "I promise I will help you, I will help you avenge your clan... but I have one condition."

"Name it," Sasuke replied without a single moment of consideration, coughing up a glob of blood as he did so.

"Don't die here," Naruto nearly pleaded. "Live, and I will help you carry out this revenge, I swear it upon my name as a Samurai."

Sasuke laughed, a laugh which was overtaken by chest wrenching coughs and blood. "I don't think I'll be able to live up to my end of the bargain, please, if you come across Itachi Uchiha, fight in my place, and kill him."

"I don't think I will be able to win against someone like that, but I will try," Naruto replied after a moment of thought. "I will try, that is the best I can promise."

"Thank... you." Sasuke breathed, and went still.

Naruto slowly placed her comrade down on the ground, she didn't know him for more than a week, but he had ate with her, and fought beside her, he was her comrade in arms. She placed his still form on the ground, ignoring the sobbing howl of his teammate and closed his eyes as she placed her right hand over his head. She stood up, lifting the arm of her deceased comrade and dragging him back towards the still immobilised form of his teammate.

Two senbon glinted in the low light, Naruto was not able to react in time. The needles pierced Kiba's neck, and the boys eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he fell over onto his side, unmoving, Akamaru fell from his master's form, already unconscious. Naruto could only look at Kiba's still form before throwing her head back and roaring in anger. She spun around to find another volley of needles soaring towards her. Her arms burned from the exertion of bringing her blade up in a basic block, some were blocked; most passed by her guard and imbedded themselves into her skin. The Samurai cried out in pain before falling to her knees.

On instinct she reached out with her free hand, grabbing onto a trio of needles imbedded in her left arm and with a strong yank forced them free with a spurt of blood. She gritted her teeth to stop herself from crying out, and then forced herself to a knee, using her katana for leverage as she reached out to grab Sasuke's body and drag him to his teammate's side.

"_You still don't want to call?"_

She had dragged Sasuke's body and left him to rest right beside Kiba, rising to her feet, swaying and unsteady as she waited for her enemy's last offensive movement, the offensive strike which would end it all.

"How do I call your name?" She asked this in a low voice, deciding to play the game with her consciousness which she was sure was leading her to insanity. "How do I release the power to end this fight, and save these people, what can I do!?"

"_You already know what you must do," _the voice replied after a moment of careful hesitation. _"You know my name, you know the words to summon me, all you must do is speak them and believe that I will come, and this battle will be yours."_

Naruto frowned, before her eyes went wide and her gaze turned to that of her katana. "Are you..."

"I'm sorry, but this ends."

She didn't know how she knew the words to summon her sword, she had absolutely no idea. They simply spilled forth from her mouth, unhindered and unopposed. At the same time she considered what she needed, a shield, something to stop the volley of needles which was undeniably coming. "Shatter, _Sentō Tsurugi_!"

The hail of senbon came down, but never struck her. Naruto looked at what had transpired, wide eyed in fascination and disbelief at what she had just witnessed. Swords, an innumerable amount of glowing blue swords surrounded her in four rows one on top of the other, encircling both her, Kiba and Sasuke's body. They created the barrier she so desperately sought, from the very depths of her imagination.

"What... is this?" Haku asked to no one with wide eyes.

Naruto could only watch, dumbfounded by the display before shaking her head violently to dispel her sudden shock. She had called these blades here; this was the power of her sword. "I'm an idiot. I completely forgot the translation of the name, _Sentō Tsurugi _means _The_ _Thousand Blade."_

It struck her suddenly, a wave of nausea and dizziness so powerful she had to drive the original sword into the ground to act as a crutch to keep her balance. She recognised the symptoms, nausea, dizziness, every muscle burning, tunnel vision, all textbook cases of chakra exhaustion. She was already pushing her limits before she called the name of her sword, and now she was probably running on empty. She summoned these blades here, but she lacked the power to use them, once Haku got over his surprise he would realise that and finish the job.

Unless.

"I hate using this chakra," Naruto growled low in her throat as she wobbly got back to her feet. She could already see her vision turn from thousands of shades of colour to shades of red. The insufferable chakra was probably already visible as a cowl surrounding her. "I suppose I don't have a choice. You hear that, fuzz-ball? I'm calling in the rent."

In the deepest depths of the seal, through a maze of cavernous sewers, in an antechamber as huge as anything, in a cage whose depths were as dark as the darkest abyss, an ancient creatures stirred, raised its head and snapped open its eyes, twin orbs of crimson death looked out from its dark cage, followed by a grin of sharp, white teeth.

Naruto felt the second chakra flow through her system, regenerating her exhausted chakra coils and giving her the much needed energy boost. She took a deep breath, fighting against the whispers of death and destruction in the back of her mind and imagined the procession of blades surrounding her to move. The blades rotated, some by ninety degrees, some by more so, until every blade was pointed at a mirror.

The girl took a deep breath, and released it. The blades flew all at once, like mirror images of each other, each one imbedding itself into the centre of a mirror up to midway along its blade length. For a long moment there was nothing, and then a series of cracks echoed through the enclosed space. The mirrors cracked, and then shattered all at once.

All that was left was Haku, watching as his trap seemed to disintegrate all around him. Naruto got to her feet, feeling the demonic chakra pull the metal senbon from her body and melting the ice made ones with hisses of steam, her wounds sowed themselves up with speed, leaving not even a scar. She tightened the grip on her sword and rushed the stunned boy. He pulled his arm back and threw his last trio of senbon needles. They seemed to be moving in slow motion to Naruto. She blocked two, a third one passing by, slicing through her ponytail and releasing her messy locks of blonde hair to the wind.

She closed the gap between herself and her opponent, seeing his eyes for the first time, wide in fear and trepidation. Naruto didn't blame him. She must have looked like quite the feral monster at this point, canines sharpened and lengthened, sclera of her eyes turning from blue to a blood red, pupils changing shape from orbs to sickles, hair was like an untameable mane of dark blonde and whisker markings on her cheeks darkening to crevices.

She roared as she brought her katana around, slamming the butt into his face with such force that the mask he wore shattered into a dozen pieces, the hilt continued, slamming into his face with enough force to break his nose with a sickening crunch. The force of the impact was so powerful it sent the ice wielder airborne, flying backwards into the air before gravity brought him back down hard on the concrete.

All Naruto was seeing was red, anger had long since overtaken her sense of reason. Her voice was a guttural growl as Haku shakily got back to his feet and tried to match her glare with a lot of effort, "Get up, we're not finished!"

* * *

Kakashi felt it, how could he ever forget it. He knew that feeling, and remembered the helplessness and malice as clearly as he did sixteen years ago. The vehement chakra of the Nine Tailed Demon Fox would forever remain with him until his dying days. Zabuza felt it as well, Kakashi knew, as well as the three Samurai. The former Kiri swordsman was looking in the direction of the ice dome his subordinate was utilising.

Hayate and Shizuma hesitated in their duel upon feeling the chakra before the tall blond swordsman shrugged and continued the fight, Izaya opened his eyes and looked in her direction with a bored, frowning expression.

The crash could be heard clearly by everyone on the bridge, all the way to Sakura and the Bridge Builder. The dome of ice mirrors shattered into thousands of pieces, falling to the ground in a mass of crystal shards. Kakashi used his opponent's loss of focus to draw a kunai and cut a small line along his thumb, coating his fingertips in blood before making the necessary hand seals.

"I see, so that girl is one of them isn't she, a container for one of the nine great beasts of legend." The swordsman asked with a slight trace of mirth as he brought his attention back to Kakashi. "That is a surprise; of all the things I was expecting from you I did not expect something like that."

"Oh, you seem to know something about Jinchūriki," Kakashi mentioned, trying to give himself a little extra time.

"Let's just say that the reason I left Kiri was because of people like her," Zabuza replied as he brought his full attention back to Kakashi. He raised his sword and pointed it right at Kakashi. "I believe it is time to stop screwing around, I will kill you Kakashi, and then I will kill that Jinchūriki and the Bridge Builder."

"Still so sure of yourself," Kakashi said with slight amusement as he finished his last hand seal and slammed his hand into the ground, a small mass of seals engraved the concrete. "But I'm afraid you won't be able to do that... _Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!"

There was a series of explosions, white smoke encompassing Kakashi before being dispersed by a mass of movement. Zabuza was not able to react in time, and was set upon by a dozen dogs of different breeds, all wearing the same attire of blue clothes as they fell upon the swordsman and immobilised him, biting into his arms and legs.

Kakashi took a deep breath as he stepped forward, doing another few hand seals before crouching down and concentrating chakra into the palm of his right hand. "It is time we ended this Zabuza, I will not allow you to continue as you are. This is my primary technique, used for assassinations; I save this method for people like you."

Lightning enveloped the palm of his hand; sparking blades of incandescent light which became entirely visible even through the thickening mist of the swordsmen's _Kirigakure no Jutsu. _ Zabuza could only watch, unable to move against this strike.

"It ends here, Zabuza," Kakashi stated and rushed forward, crackling mass of electricity following in his wake. He closed the gap between himself and the swordsman of the mist with little effort, reeling back his hand, ready to drive his hand right through his opponent's chest.

"_Raikiri!_"

The hand came forward, blood spurted the ground.

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **__This is a shorter chapter than most; at least on word count it is almost as short as the prologue. It just seemed like the perfect time to end the chapter. I was planning on it being a little longer, but well just decided against it._

_**Author's Note 2: **__Most of you probably know where I got the sword ideas for the two Samurai already, and some of you may already know what the Deviant Blades originally come from, like most else in this story the OC's will be based off other anime and manga series, that includes the release for Naruto's sword which resembles a very well known Bankai, it is intentional, but it will not be the blades usual release, as the release of these blades will be according to the opponents imagination and needs._

_**Author's Note 3: **__Just to confirm a few details for my friend GrumpyWinter, Naruto is sixteen years old in this continuity, and her appearance, besides her Ronin Samurai attire and straw hat, is very similar to the sexy Jutsu, shoulder length blonde hair, blue eyes, tanned skin, whisker marks on cheeks, not so much a pinup character like in the manga but a little more muscular, not in an unattractive way though, more of a lean kind of muscular._


	9. Battle's End

_**Chapter 8**_

_**Battle's End**_

She was an Amazon, a warrior woman, strikingly beautiful and feral in the mist that she seemed like an ethereal creature of myth and legend. She stood there in the low light, long unkempt mane flailing in the breeze, torn orange kimono and hakama billowing, red eyes glowing in the low light, katana held at her side, glinting like liquid silver.

The thickness in the very air was stifling, a weight on his shoulders which made it hard to breath. Haku felt this even more so than the painful throbbing of his broken nose, the burning in his limbs from the extensive use of his chakra system. He had never felt this defeated and tired before, never before.

She pointed her sword at him, a snarl of anger morphing her features. "Get up, we're not finished!"

Her voice was a guttural growl, a predatory, animalistic snarl which brought a chill to his bones which seemed to counter the burning of his muscles. Haku looked into her eyes, seeing the feral glow of non-human orbs. The questions blurred dully in his mind.

Was this really Naruto? The girl he met in the forest a few days ago? She seemed so different, so different it just felt wrong.

"We're not finished," Naruto growled low, taking a step forward and bringing her other hand to the bottom of the hilt, falling into a sword fighting stance. "We're not finished until I say we're finished!"

Slowly Haku got to his feet, swaying slightly but remaining steadfast and stubborn as his eyes met hers. He would not back down, would not surrender. That would be an insult to both him and to her. "You have me. Why not just kill me?"

"Kill you," Naruto asked with a frown, eyes blazing with an ethereal power. "Death is too easy, I'm going to beat you half to death; nurse you back to health then beat you half to death again. Until I am satisfied, and then I'll give you to the Sensei of those boys you killed and let him do whatever he wants with you!"

"They are Shinobi," Haku replied without hesitation or doubt. "It is the way of a Shinobi to fight, for either their village or their country is irrelevant. Death is a common end to a Shinobi's career, they would have died."

"Or they could have lived," Naruto replied with a roar of anger. "They could have grown up, met a girl, raised a family... but they'll never get that chance will they? Did you ever think about what you'll be putting their families through, did you!?"

"What do you know of family," Haku asked in a dead monotone. "You never knew your parents, you never had any siblings. How do you know this?"

"I may have never known my mother or father, but I do have people who I consider family, sensei, Shizuma, Izaya, the other wielders of the Deviant Blades. They are my family, and if anyone killed them, or hurt them then I would hunt them down, and make them pay!"

"Then kill me."

Naruto's snarl grew, eyes gleaming in anger. "It is not my place to kill you, I have no right. The right is to the loved ones of the people you killed, and you will answer to them!"

Haku shook his head, a wry, dead smile on his face. "I am now useless to my master, all that remains is death."

Naruto tilted her head, frowning, before her eyes hardened into diamonds once again. Before she could advance there was a sudden change in the chakra signatures behind them, one so obvious and sudden that it caught their attention. Naruto vaguely knew one of the signatures as Kakashi, and the other must have been Zabuza.

Haku's ability to sense chakra was stronger than Naruto's and he felt the sudden shift in the deadlock between her master and the Konoha Shinobi. He recognised the signature of a summoning Jutsu, followed by a powerful and overwhelming discharge of an elemental technique, one which was definitely meant for the single purpose of ending a life.

"Zabuza-sama,"

Haku rushed forward out of nothing more than shear instinct, passing by Naruto on his way to protect his master. He thought he was clear from her, but found that he was mistaken. A hand of supernatural strength gripped his right ankle. Haku could only look down in wide eyed shock to meet the feral, glowing eyes of the Samurai. She growled low in her throat before throwing him to the ground with an all powerful force, enough to send the air from his lungs and crack a few bones. She roared her feelings in anger and rage, eyes becoming twin pits of flame in response to her fury.

"I did not give you permission... _**to leave!**_"

Her last two words were spoken not from her tongue, but from something older and far more terrible than what any mortal could conjure. Haku could feel it. She was being overtaken by something. Her rage was the catalyst for something within her to gain control. He had only felt this once before, on the day Zabuza-sama resigned his commission as a swordsman of the mist.

"What is within you?" Haku asked as he forced himself to a knee, biting back the pain wracking his body with all of the stubborn willpower he could muster. This was one situation which he would never back away from.

"Something no one should carry," Naruto replied.

"Move, I must reach Zabuza-sama!"

"Try and pass me!"

He did, Haku rushed forward with speed, a needle of ice surging into his palm, created by the moisture in the air and solidified through his special chakra. He came within striking distance and attempted to pass by her defences and pierce her neck.

Naruto was too fast for him at this point. She ignored his strike, and with lightning quickness brought the hilt of her katana around to connect with her opponent's abdomen with a bone breaking crunch. Haku gasped, sputtering gobs of bloody saliva as at least three ribs cracked under the pressure. The tip of his weapon was mere millimetres from her neck, glinting in the low light. She followed up with an upper strike with the butt of the hilt to his jaw, sending him airborne and hitting the ground hard, unconscious before he made contact.

Naruto stood in position for a long moment, before lowering her guard and shaking her head. The voices were coming stronger now, so much stronger. There was a deep voice in the darkness of the furthest reaches of her mind, calling for her to do one act. Too kill. It whispered into her mind, stronger than any in her recent memory. It ordered her to kill this unconscious boy, to make him suffer for what he had made her suffer through, to make him suffer for those he had taken from this world.

_What are you waiting for, kill him!_

_He would do the same to you, if the roles were reversed._

_He's a killer, a murderer!_

_End him, end him!_

_Kill... kill, kill, kill!_

"Naruto!"

A hand grasped her shoulder, and she spun around, striking out of instinct only to see the wrist of her sword hand grabbed and held steady. Through the red haze of anger she began to recognise features, pale skin and raven black hair.

"Izaya?" she asked in a daze.

"It's me," the older Samurai spoke in a soft tone. "Don't give in to him."

"He killed... he killed those two boys," Naruto managed to say through the haze.

"Do not let him win," Izaya stated, bringing his face mere centimetre away from his sibling, his youngest, strongest and most naive of siblings. She was in a daze. Her prisoner's lust for blood had almost overtaken her senses, almost. "You are stronger than him. This is your body, your soul and your strength. He is nothing but a tenant, do not let him dictate your actions, never let him dictate your actions!"

She didn't speak, but a new glimmer was beginning to take hold in her eyes, the pupils began to convulse and the crimson was beginning to flicker from reds to blues as the human within began to fight back against the advances of the demon within. Naruto took a shuddering breathe, snapped her eyes shut and growled low in exertion.

"Stay with me, Naruto." The older Samurai stated; eyes unyielding and firm. "Do not let him win."

Naruto concentrated, all the while saying to herself over and over again, with more confidence with each word spoken. She was the one in control. She was the one who was the jailer. He had no control over her. He had nothing he could hang over her, so long as she kept a vigil he will never prevail.

"I will not yield."

Izaya's released her, features softening.

"I _will not yield_!"

Like that, his voice was gone, the anger left her mind and she sighed in relief as she nearly collapsed, Izaya caught her as her legs failed her. She was breathing heavily, gasping for air, great inhales and exhales of breathe showed the lengths of her torment. She blacked out for a moment, opening her eyes to find herself being gently placed on the ground in the arms of her oldest and dearest brother, Izaya.

"Izaya," she whispered.

He smiled, "How do you feel?"

"Tired and sore," she replied as she sat up with considerable effort.

"Then perhaps you should rest?" the swordsman asked.

"No, it's not done yet."

"I see."

"The fight?" she asked, meaning the duel between Kakashi and Zabuza. Naruto had every confidence that Shizuma would win against Hayate.

"That little standoff has run its course."

Naruto sat up with effort, using both Izaya and her katana as a needed crutch to regain her feet. The moment she did she looked in the direction of the battle, seeing with wide eyes its bloody conclusion. Kakashi stood poised, his arm, crackling with the remains of lightning and thunder pierced right through Zabuza's chest, exiting through his back in a bloody mess of blood, cartilage, bone fragments and ripped cloth. His exposed hand was coated red with his defeated enemy's blood.

"Is it over?" she asked.

"Not quite," Izaya replied as he turned his back to her and walked a few steps across the bridge. He drew three swords one after the other, two held between the knuckles of his right hand and one held in his left. He turned his head to look out over the fading mist. "The enemy is coming."

Naruto looked across the bridge, following her brothers line of sight just in time to see a mass of shadows appear in the distance, a horde of men wearing drab kimono's and carrying weapons of every kind and variety from daggers to swords, to spears and halberds, from short throwing axes to their long handled variants. It was a small army of thugs and turncoats, thieves and bandits brought together by the purse of a single man.

"Rest easy, I will take it from here."

* * *

Hayate panted heavily for breathe, looking up at his opponent as he rested his huge sword against his shoulder with little effort and grinned a feral, blood lusting grin. The Samurai had never faced a wielder of a fully realised Deviant Blade before, and if he survived this he vowed to never face one ever again.

He was a dangerous animal before, but now he was something akin to a monster, destruction and annihilation became the tools of his fighting style where hacking slashes and cuts were his weapons of choice before. The second he named his sword everything changed. The very dynamic of their duel changed. The blade became heavy, crushingly heavy, before it would have made him stumble, but now, in this form it would crush him and break his swords. The claymore didn't change in appearance, other than the blade turning from metal into solid stone, a perfect replica of the blade, without a single nick.

Before when his opponent wielded his blade it would have cut a groove or left a wide crack in the bridges surface, now when he wielded it in its released form it created fissures in the concrete, creating small earthquakes with each missed blow, wracking the superstructure, leaving huge cracks and craters in his wake, pavements crumbled, the ground at his feet rose up and fell with each strike. Worst of all, his opponent didn't seem at all fazed by the sudden increase in weight of his sword, if anything he seemed delighted by it.

"What's the matter?" Shizuma asked, sickening grin still in place as he brought his sword around and pointed it at him. "You were talking all tough just a second ago, where did all of that confidence go oh great student of a warrior?"

Hayate snarled in response, falling back into a defensive stance with his last good sword, his other one had been shattered by the first strike of the released weapon and it was luck more than skill that he was able to deflect the strike to the ground beside him instead of being crushed by the stone carved blade. He had done research on all of the Deviant Blades. He knew what they could do and this blade was as dangerous as any of them.

The legendary _Sōtō Kanazuchi,_ whose blade turned to stone, it is said to be able to demolish anything it strikes, no matter the material or composition. No one but the strongest of men could even lift it when it was in its released form. It was called Twin Sword because when it is released it can be wielded from both ends, as either a sword or a hammer, hence it's other name.

Hayate looked down at the remains of his other sword, which were just the hilt and a few centimetres of blade ending in a ragged edge. "You owe me a new sword. Do you know how rare and expensive elemental blades are this side of the continent?"

"Sorry, thought they were made of sterner stuff." Shizuma replied before barking in laughter.

"Sterner stuff, you say." Hayate asked with a raised brow. "It doesn't matter what they are made off, no natural material can withstand a blow from that sword."

Shizuma shrugged in response before turning his attention elsewhere, Hayate felt it too, a chakra signature going out. "You're friends dead."

"I noticed."

"Not going to go to him?"

"I only met him a few days ago, and I didn't really like him."

"Looks like little Naru took care of his associate," Shizuma added with a grin. "You're on your own."

Hayate also noticed that, as well as the unnatural chakra which seemed to permeate the area surrounding them, it was ancient and foul, like that of an ancient beast or monster. Even in the Samurai nations they had heard of the Nine Beasts of power and the human sacrifices needed to utilise them in combat. "Tell me, is she one of them? One of these Jinchūriki the Shinobi nations have created to fight their wars for them."

"Don't know and don't care," Shizuma replied without a moment of hesitation. "She's just Naruto to me."

"Of course," Hayate replied before cracking his neck and falling back into a stance, tossing his now useless second sword away and making do with a single katana. "Let us continue. I would rather die like my allies than surrender in disgrace."

"Spoken like someone brought up on the ancient code," Shizuma replied as he rushed forward, bringing his prized sword over his head for a downward stroke. "I will be more than happy to oblige!"

* * *

Kakashi took a deep breath and backed slowly away, hearing the sickening squelching noises as he removed his hand, covered in blood and cartilage, from his opponent's chest. Zabuza's entire body had been in the grips of a violent spasm for a long moment, eyes bulging, before his head slumped to his chest and his grip on his sword slackened enough for the huge blade to fall to the ground with a clatter.

The second Kakashi fully removed his hand; still sparking from the remains of his technique, from the swordsman's chest the body fell to its knees then collapsed onto its side in a heap. The Copy-nin waited for a moment, but the outcome was decisive.

The Demon of the Mist was dead.

Kakashi looked from the prone body to his hand, watching as blood fell from his fingertips in rivulets. He was tired, legs and arms felt like lead and the subtle burning which ran across his skin was a tell tale sign that his chakra was rebelling against the pressure. He definitely hadn't fully healed from their battle barely a week before, and his training sessions with Naruto and his students hadn't really helped him in his recovery either.

A clash of weapons drew his attention, followed by a sickening crunch. He turned in time to see the Samurai flung through the air, katana thrown from his grasp as he flew high before falling over the bridge, out of sight. A splash signalled his collision with the surface of the water far below. The Samurai stood, blade held in both hands as he rose from his position and flicked the stone blade. It turned back to steel once again, steam rising from the metal.

Kakashi didn't see the final blow, but he guessed that the Samurai was hit head on with the full force of the stone blade, most likely breaking or crushing almost every major bone in his body. He was probably dead before gravity brought him back down to the ice cold water.

That was it.

Zabuza and the Samurai were dead, and the fake Hunter Ninja was unconscious on the other side of the battlefield. The damage to the bridge was considerable, cracks, fissures, craters; half destroyed railings, a piece of stone slid from its place, perfectly cut through, and fell to the water below with a colossal splash. Kakashi spared a look in the bridge builder's direction, noticing that the mist hadn't sufficiently dissipated yet for him to see the true scale of the damage.

The mist was clearing though, with Zabuza's death there was nothing keeping it here any longer. It began to dissipate before his very eyes, slowly beginning to be carried away by the wind. He had already felt the presences at the other side of the half completed, now half destroyed, construct, and breathed a sigh of irritation when the mist cleared enough to show a mass of shadows, a column of men and weapons.

A few more seconds passed, and the mist cleared enough to show a small army of men standing on the other side of the bridge, a horde of a couple hundred mercenaries and thugs, wearing drab, stained and cut clothing, armed with all manner of weapons from katana to broadswords, short-swords, spears, axes, daggers, knives, halberds, crossbows and even shields of all shapes, sizes, makes and models.

The crowd of men looked at their foes with a mixture of smirks, sneers and gleaming bloodlust filled eyes, all seemingly ready and rearing to go. Kakashi quietly counted their number, guessing that there must have been just over a hundred of them, all low level thugs and bandits, probably bought for spare change and the promise of plunder. If he were not so tired he could have probably took them on himself, but he was tired and fatigued, still recovering from injuries, and looking at Naruto and the blond haired Samurai he could see that both of them were also a little weary, Kiba and Sasuke were nowhere to be seen.

That left Sakura and the other Samurai still fresh and ready to fight. But Sakura was not a fighter, and he didn't have a clue as to the abilities of the other Samurai. He might not even be a wielder of one of those swords at all.

"Well, well well," the crowd of sneering thugs parted, allowing a short, middle aged man dressed in a business suit to step out into the open. This man was obviously the leader and that could only mean one thing. "So they were defeated huh? Can't say I'm surprised, they were useless."

Kakashi sighed as he brought down his headband to cover his sharingan eye, "I take it your Gato?"

The man smirked condescendingly as he raised a finger, "Bingo."

"I suppose I can't ask you to withdraw?"

"Not a chance, not when the picking are this ripe." The business tycoon cackled. "Look at all of you, most of you are either dead or halfway there, perfect for my boys here to kill you and show the Land of Waves the penalty for defying me."

Kakashi frowned, but before he could speak another voice beat him too it, calm and in control.

"I take it that you would have assembled this... force... here whether Zabuza won or lost." He looked over to see the other Samurai, blades drawn; two held in one hand, one held in the other as he looked upon the war-host with as much interest as someone watching a line of ants on the ground.

Gato growled at him, "So what if I was?"

"Not an attitude one would like in an employer, offering to pay them a substantial sum then breaking his word at the end," Izaya stated with a sigh as he took a step forward.

"So what?" Gato asked, advancing towards them with confidence. "The moron asked for far too much for his services, both of them did, and look what they got me. I wouldn't pay a single piece of coin for this scum."

Naruto growled low in her throat in outrage, taking a shaky step forward only to be stopped by a shimmering blade, Izaya placed it between her and the gang, eyes looking at her with a single message clear in them. Do not interfere. Naruto frowned at him, brow furrowing, before looking down and with a sigh backed away.

"You call him scum, yet it is you who fail to fulfil your side of a bargain once struck," Izaya tilted his head to the side and took another step forward. "You pathetic little man, my blades will enjoy taking your head from your shoulders."

"One of you," Gato asked in equal mirth and disbelief, "One of you against all these men, I think you overestimate yourself."

"We will see."

Izaya placed one of the blades in his mouth, fell into a fighting stance and rushed forward, form a blur of incandescent motion. He was right in front of the first line of thugs before they could even register his presence. A swing of blades led to screams of agony, splatters of blood and spinning limbs as half a dozen men fell before his opening strike.

He was like a hurricane, a whirlwind of blades, devastation followed in his wake as he weaved among the horde, blades in his hands flashing a pattern of death and annihilation, followed near instantly by the blade of the sword whose hilt was clamped between his teeth. Within the course of a few fleeting seconds another dozen men were lying on the ground, some dead while others were rolling in agony, holding onto stumps as blood pooled the ground.

"What are you idiots waiting for!?" Gato shouted, his confidence now gone and replaced by fear. "Kill him!"

The men hesitated, then uttered battle cries and rushed at the three blade wielding Samurai. Izaya rushed forward, meeting them head on, blades spun and sliced, killing and maiming men as he went, cutting through the onslaught of mercenaries in a blur of freshly spilt blood; cleaved limbs, shattered pieces of swords and spears. Izaya was a blur of glinting steel and flailing cloth amongst the chaos as he continued his advance, spinning, slashing, and pivoting on his heel as he continued his quick and almost blurring advance.

He cleaved through the final line of men between him and his target, sending them flying through the air with a simple flick of his right blade, releasing a stream of cutting sickles of air which snapped weapons like twigs and left long fatal gashes which exploded in streams of blood. Izaya came to a stop, in a crouching stance, blood dripping from his blades in rivulets, yet not a single ounce of the liquid had touched his clothes or his exposed skin.

Gato backed away, entire form quaking in fear, "What is wrong with you idiots!? He's just one man!"

The black haired Samurai tilted his head to the side, eyes darting left and right to see that the rest of the gang were slowly advancing on him, with more caution this time. He shrugged, before once again launching himself forward with blurring speed. Gato didn't even know what hit him, one moment the man was at least ten meters away from him, the next he was right beside him, the blade of the sword clenched between his teeth levelled at the small statured businessman's throat.

The tycoon's eyes bulged in sudden fear, darting down at the blood soaked blade then into the dark eyes of his attacker. Izaya showed his teeth as his lips curled back, and then he whipped his head to the side. The blade cut clean through Gato's throat from ear to ear, blood splattering the ground as the small man gurgled, and fell back, dead before he hit the concrete with a meaty thump.

Izaya flicked both his wrists, sending the blood still clinging to his swords into the air before sheathing the two of them in a smooth dual motion. He then reached up with his now free right hand to take his third blade from his mouth, looking down at the dead form of the businessman with a look of pure distain as he took out a cloth and began removing the blood from his third, most prized sword. "So this is the mastermind behind all this, I'm kind of disappointed."

He then brought his attention to the large crowd of armed men, between him and the rest of his group. He must have taken down at least twenty five of them, and his sudden strike which killed their employer had definitely put them on edge. He guessed all they needed was a nudge for them all to flee.

That nudge came from the other side of the bridge, as the sounds of dozens of feet filled the air. At the other side of the bridge was a large, motley force of men and women, armed with a huge and equally diverse armoury of weapons, most of which probably weren't intended to be used as weapons in the first place, pitchforks, hammers, butchers knives, axes, clubs, sticks, staffs and a few swords and spears were also scattered about. The Samurai guessed they were the villagers, and to his surprise they seemed to be led by a young boy carrying a crossbow, arrow hooked and ready to fire.

The bandits were backing away now. Just one more little nudge would break their resolve and cause a route. It came when Naruto drew her katana from it's sheathe and took a step forward, Shizuma copying her motion with his own weapon. The elder Shinobi seemed to think, and then made a quick set of hand seals. A series of bursts of smoke showed a line of near perfect copies, Shadow Clones, not illusions.

That did it.

The horde of bandits turned and fled, many of them ran to the small trawler moored at the edge of the bridge, others jumped from the railings to the water below and began to swim, and more men fell into the water in the crushing stampede as the enemy ran for their lives. A roar of cheers reverberated from the villagers.

* * *

Naruto looked at the crowd of assembled villagers in time for her eyes to lock with Inari's. The young man caught her eyes, grinning happily in the victory and besides the situation the young woman managed a wry smile followed by a thumbs up, mere moments before Inari was picked up by a villager and placed on the huge mans shoulders.

There was no time for her to celebrate though, in truth she really didn't feel like it. She had a job to do, one which she knew instinctually that she would hate. She searched the bridge for the form of Kakashi Hatake and upon finding the masked Shinobi began to limp in his direction. The Jōnin noticed her approach and his eyes curled up in one of his signature smiles.

"Naruto," he greeted.

"Kakashi," she returned, looking up at him. "I have some bad news."

* * *

The two of them looked so peaceful, Naruto found herself noticing. Lying side by side the teammates and rivals almost looked like they were asleep, dreaming of something, but the Samurai knew that they were not asleep, that they were no longer among the living of the world.

The atmosphere was sombre, interrupted by the soft sobs of the last surviving team member of Team Seven. Sakura was on her knees, in between the two boys, head bowed, pink bangs hiding her face as her body was wracked with sobs, even from where she stood Naruto could just about see tears falling to the cold concrete ground. In her arms was the small bundle of Akamaru, the puppy in an almost catatonic state as it continued to look down at the still form of its master, emitting low, pitiful whines as if begging him to open his eyes.

Kakashi stood a few steps away, his eyes looking down upon the still forms of his two students with a haunted quality to them, in many ways his silence conveyed his grief not nearly as open as Sakura's. His was a quieter moment, tempered by the fact that this was not the first time he had seen comrades lost on the battlefield.

Tazuna looked down at the two bodies also, for the first time the large bridge builder was at a loss for what to do or say, Inari was at his side, in the same position as his grandfather. The villagers who had come to their aide were keeping their distance from the sight, many watching, others deciding to leave. Naruto wasn't sure where Izaya and Shizuma were, but knew that they were keeping their distance also.

For Naruto all she felt was guilt at her own failure to protect those two. She had been there, fighting alongside them. She had gone in there to try and get those boys out, and in that respect she had failed completely. Her thoughts were overtaken by helplessness and self-loathing. It was _her_ fault they were dead, if she had only been faster she could have saved them.

"Did you know that I mesmerised all of the codes of the Ninja, every last one," Sakura spoke up at last, speaking to nobody in particular as her emerald eyes darted between Sasuke and Kiba's bodies. "One of the first ones was that a Ninja must never show emotion, under any circumstances... but... I-"

She broke down in a fit of low uncontrollable sobs again, unable to complete her sentence. No one around her spoke, feeling similar feelings to how she felt. Naruto closed her eyes and lowered her head. So this feeling was what it was like to lose a comrade, true she had only known them for a week, and there was a chance she would be fighting against them in the future, but here, now, they had been her allies.

There was a grunt, and Naruto opened her eyes to look up, frowning. Those blue orbs widened in surprise when she saw that Sasuke had opened his eyes with a groan, followed a second later by a whimper as Kiba too opened his, curling up into a ball. Both were completely ignoring, or unable to notice, the surprised to downright disbelieving looks the two _corpses _were gaining from their audience.

"Why does it feel like a mountain fell on me," Kiba asked no one in particular as he rolled back onto his back, a low whine from his pet puppy seemed to make the situation even more tenable.

Sasuke grunted in agreement, completely unprepared when Sakura fell on his chest, sobbing in obvious relief. "You're alright. You're both alright... thank goodness!"

"Sakura," Sasuke groaned in a raspy voice, each word seemingly difficult for him to pronounce. "You're... heavy."

"I almost died too," Kiba groaned, "Why don't I get a looking."

As if in response a little bundle of white landed on the side of his face and began to lick his cheek, Akamaru was there, barking happily, jumping from side to side before closing in to give its master a handful of slobbery licks.

"Thanks boy," Kiba allowed with a feral grin.

"But how," Tazuna asked everyone in disbelief, relieved disbelief, but still disbelief. "They were dead. Kakashi-san didn't feel a pulse."

Kakashi was thoughtful for a moment, and then shook his head in mild amusement. "That boy used the same technique he used to extract Zabuza."

"But why would he do that?"

"Because he's not a killer," Naruto murmured in response, shaking her head. "I met him once, a few days ago in the forest... he had the chance to kill me, yet he didn't. We talked and from what I learned of him it's that he hates the action of taking a life."

"Why didn't you tell us this?" Kakashi asked mildly, his voice calm.

Naruto shrugged, "To be honest it didn't seem all that important. We left promising we wouldn't cross paths again until the bridge, and no one would attack us until then either."

"We'll either way we need to get these boys back somewhere where they can rest and recuperate," Izaya said, coming between Naruto and Kakashi. "We will also need to see about the other boys treatment and incarceration until we can see about what to do with-"

Izaya's words were cut off by a scream of shock and disbelief, all looked up to see the bridge builder, starring wide eyed at the bridge, or what was left of the bridge. The others looked up as well, eyes widening at the scale of destruction the battle had brought. The once smooth concrete road and pavements were cracked with fissures and crevices, pieces of rock and debris were scattered everywhere and even as they watched a section of the railings gave way with a whine and fell into the ocean below, a loud splash signalling the continuation of its journey to the bottom.

"My bridge," Tazuna sputtered as he walked a few steps forward on shaking feet before falling to his knees, bulging eyes continuing to stare in shock at what was left, "My _bridge_!"

"Izaya," Naruto asked, herself looking at the ruins of the structure in a defeated monotone. "Who did this?"

Izaya sighed, folding his arms into his billowing sleeves. "I'll give you three guesses, but to be honest you're only going to need one."

Naruto sighed before turning in the immediate direction where the culprit was standing, emphasis on _was_ standing, only to find that he wasn't there anymore. There was nothing but an empty space where he had stood. The blonde haired swordswoman sighed, took a deep breath and released a billowing scream of anger, emphasising each syllable of the man's name even as Tazuna sobbed before the tattered remains of his bridge.

"_SHI-ZU-MA!"_

* * *

Three days had passed since the confrontation on the bridge and during the simple space of those seventy two hours the entire outlook of the Land of Waves transformed from a defeated country on the verge of collapse to one with the outlook of a new nation.

Word of Gato's defeat and death spread quickly, and within two days Tazuna found a small army of new volunteers ready to help him and his men complete the bridge to the mainland. The story of his family and their protector's defiant stand against the tyrant had touched many, and the removal of his threat had brought many more to help. Among them was the grumbling form of Shizuma, tracked down by his fellow Samurai and conscripted into helping to build the bridge in debt to almost destroying it.

The tyrant's death had also had a profound effect on the fishing and trade of the small country, those who had been bought and threatened into his service suddenly found themselves without an employer, without his shadow over them these ships began working again. Fishermen began building new boats from lumber in the forest without worry of attack of sabotage, and traders began renewing their old routes, heading to familiar ports under the temporary command of the lands nobles to try and renew trade links with other nations.

At Tazuna's house the Shinobi and Samurai rested and healed. Sasuke and Kiba were still bedridden, much to the delight of Sakura, who nursed them, specifically Sasuke, back to full health. Kakashi and Naruto also decided to take it easy, both suffering from minor wounds and fatigue. Izaya and Shizuma were the ones who took over guard duty, Izaya during the day and Shizuma at night when he wasn't working off his debt at the bridge, but with Gato dead threats from his underlings were now considered null and void, so much so that the larger Samurai spent his nightly guard duties sleeping rather than watching.

There was still one last confrontation to consider, and Naruto was determined to meet it head on. That was the inevitable altercation with the only survivor of their opposition, still unconscious and under guard in the guest's bedroom.

* * *

Haku awoke with a start, sitting upright with a gasp before immediately regretting it. He winced, hissing out a pained gasp of breath as his wounds made themselves painfully clear, cracked ribs and a broken nose, he guessed that from the dull ache coming from his nose.

He was in a bedroom, a homely little room with a bed, a bedside table with a lamp, a cupboard, chest of drawers and a mirror were the only pieces of furniture, a mid-sized window to his right and a door to his left.

"I see you're awake," a calm voice said from beside him and Haku's head darted to the right in time to see the silver haired Shinobi, sitting in a chair with his arms folded and his legs crossed. He was still fully dressed in his Jōnin attire, headband worn diagonally across his left eye and lower face covered by a black cloth.

Haku frowned at him, before the memories of the last few days came back in painful focus, from the battle on the bridge, his battle with Naruto all the way to the sudden change in chakra signatures between her master and his opponent. It took him a moment to remember that Zabuza's opponent was sitting in the chair across from him.

"The battle," Haku asked, groaning in pain as his body protested the movements. "Zabuza-sama?"

"Zabuza is dead," Kakashi explained as he continued to sit nonchalantly in his chair. "Along with the Samurai allied with him and Gato himself. The Land of Waves is free and they've begun to rebuild. All who are left who haven't fled or died is you."

Haku could only look at him in shock, eyes wide. Zabuza-sama, his master, his teacher, was dead. The man he had promised to protect and stand beside with all of his strength was dead, and the man sitting beside him was the one who killed him. Anger welled in Haku's chest, coupled with the almost crushing shame that he had failed his master so spectacularly.

Kakashi hummed as he stood up, dusting off his pants before making his way towards the door. "Well I suppose now that you're awake there's no longer a need to look over you is there? You're free to go, so long as you don't endanger the bridge builder or his family I don't mind."

"Why let me go?" Haku asked, straining to keep his voice calm, using all of his willpower to stop himself from lunging at this man and try to tear his throat out.

"Because you didn't kill my student's, and Naruto spoke highly of you... those are the only reasons you're here." Kakashi replied stoically, turning to look at him before opening the door and closing it behind him with a soft thud. Haku listened to the footsteps as the Ninja walked away. He waited a few more fleeting seconds, seemingly lasting a lifetime, then he seemed to collapse in on himself, falling back into the bed and looking up at the ceiling yet not taking anything in.

Zabuza was dead. There was nothing for him to live for anymore. His whole life, his goal, was to follow Zabuza-sama, aide him in his goal of becoming the Mizukage and bringing balance to that strife ridden land. That was his purpose in life. The purpose was gone, Zabuza-sama was dead, and there was nothing left for him in this world.

He looked around for something to end his torment, and found it in a small, well kept comb on the bedside table just across from him. It was a cheap thing, remove the bristles and you had a blade as good as any to end a life, if aimed for the right place. With trembling hands Haku reached over, grabbed the small device and with a small chakra strengthened thrust broke off the wooden bristles from the comb. He looked at the razors edge for a long moment, then sat up, took a deep breath and plunged the sharpened remains of the comb towards the artery at his throat.

In a flash a hand blurred into his line of vision, gripping onto his wrist and stopping the descent of the weapon to his neck. For a split-second the two forces fought each other for control, and then another hand flew up while the other struck a pressure point in his wrist, forcing the sharpened stick from his grasp to fall into another waiting hand.

Not thinking straight, angry and distraught he cast a glare at the one who had stopped him, only for his eyes to widen slightly. It was Naruto. She leaned on his bed, one hand holding a steel grip onto his wrist while the other threw his hastily made weapon away, the razor pointed edge digging into the wooden wall beside the door.

Haku continued to struggle, but he was weak from his three day long coma and Naruto, while still injured by the obvious bandages, was still far stronger than him. She jumped on top of him, straddling his knees while each hand grabbed one of his wrists and forced them to the beds surface with little effort, she bent over to keep him at bay, eyes locked and mere centimetres away from each other, Haku's angry dark eyes meeting Naruto's determined azure.

He continued to struggle; knowing that it was useless but Naruto still would not relent. His attempts to buck and kick her off ended fruitlessly and finally he fell back into bed, exhausted and spent but still determined, still glaring up at the girl holding him down who returned it with a determined glare of her own.

"Let me die." He demanded, almost pleaded.

"No," was Naruto's stalwart reply.

"Let me die!" He shouted this time.

"No!" Naruto shouted back with equal intensity, "Why do you want to take your life, _WHY_!?"

"Zabuza-sama saved me from a fate worse than death, my whole life my only goal was to help him obtain his dream. But he isn't here anymore, and I have failed in my goals, and I will never see him take the title of Mizukage from that _monster_!" He looked into Naruto's eyes, glaring right back at him. "So I no longer have a purpose, it would be better to kill me now!"

A slap resounded throughout the small, cramped room. Haku's eyes were wide, taking in the stinging sensation on his cheek where the blonde haired girl had slapped him. Naruto was breathing hard, chest heaving too and froe as she continued to glare at him. "Do you really think life is so worthless that you would just throw it away like that!?"

"What difference is it to you!? I no longer have a purpose!" Haku roared back ignoring the pain he was feeling from his injuries. Why did he even try to make this girl understand, why was he trying to convince her? "My master is dead, do you hear me, _dead_! My purpose here is spent, better to end it now than live a worthless-"

"Then join me!"

Haku's words died in his throat as he looked up at the girls steely blue eyes, his own mind taking several moments to digest her words. "What?"

"Join me, if you can't live without someone to serve then serve me, join and travel with me in Zabuza's stead," Naruto said, the words obviously not sitting right with her yet she said them all the same. "Maybe if I can keep you alive long enough I can rid you of this mindset, but until then travel with me, call me master if you want, help and protect me as I reach _my_ goals... just... just-"

Something splashed against his cheek, and it took Haku a moment to realise that it was a tear. He looked up to see water streaming down Naruto's face as she continued to look down at him. "Just don't die, Haku, don't give up on life that easily, travel with me, and learn that life means more than that!"

Haku could only look on for a handful of moments before breaking her gaze, suddenly feeling dirty for what he had just attempted, yet his grief was still far too fresh. "I can't!"

Naruto gritted her teeth to stop the sob from escaping her throat, and in a quick motion she drew something from her waist and stabbed it into the table beside his bed. Haku looked over to see a knife, half imbedded in the wood of the cabinet. Naruto stood up, walked to the door and opened it, but remained where she was for a handful of moments before turning her head halfway to face him.

"I'll give you a choice then," Naruto said, head slightly bowed. "If you really want too then take that knife and end your life now, but if you decide otherwise then come down to the dining room and tell me to my face that you'll come with me, I'll show you that life means more than this!"

The ice Ninja looked at the knife, then at Naruto.

"I'll be waiting for your answer, you have one hour."

The door closed, leaving just Haku and the knife lodged into the bedside table. He looked at it for a long moment, hand twitching in its direction yet still remembering Naruto's words at the same time. It stayed his hand, at least for the moment, the decision to go with her, or to end his life now for his disgrace. It was a hard decision to make.

"Do you think you're words will have an effect on him?" Naruto looked over to see Kakashi, leaning against the wall, arms folded as he looked over at her with his one visible eye.

"We'll see, won't we?" Naruto replied as she took a deep breath and began to walk past the Jōnin, taking a deep breath as she passed him to steel her own resolve. "I really want to show him that life means more than serving someone till the death."

"That may not be your choice though," Kakashi advised, still from his place leaning against the wall. "Some people just cannot be saved."

"I know that," she replied tiredly, looking up at nothing in particular before turning her gaze back to Kakashi. "But I believe that he can be convinced."

To be honest even she wasn't sure what he would do and leaving him in that room with something capable of ending his life was one of the hardest decisions she wanted to make. Yet she knew that if she denied him that chance then he would probably take it at the earliest opportunity while travelling with her. She had to make sure he was willing to live.

That was what she told herself anyway, the truth was that she wanted him to live. She wanted to show him that life wasn't just torture and struggle, that there were good things to living as well as bad. It was still up to him though, completely up to him but if he made the choice to remain then she would do everything she could to prove to him that life was worth living.

She would prove it.

She had too.

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **__Just to remind you that Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and his team, I make no attempt to take ownership of his work. This is fanfiction, nothing more._

_**Author's Note 2: **__Sorry this update is so late team, I've had a rough couple of months at work. They've been tightening the restrictions on us, even I'm on a few warnings, and I've also lost half of my team in the timeline of a month, mainly from changing shifts and going to university and so on. On top of that considering half of them were people I've gone through training together with make's it a tough thing to take. I'm thinking of quitting myself to be honest, not until I find a job to replace it mind you, damn working life is so hard!_

_**Author's Note 3: **__Anyway the first arc of Naruto: The Wanderer is almost over and done with, just another chapter or two to fix it up. I've also begun working on not just the Shinobi world but also the Samurai world west of the Land of Iron, I've got an idea of how it will role and I'm pretty happy with it and how it will turn out, not for a couple of arcs though so stay tuned._


	10. Hangover Cure

_**Chapter 9**_

_**Hangover Cure**_

Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the blinds, its radiant light not allowing itself to be denied, birds chirped a morning chorus just outside of the open bedroom window, and a light breeze blew at the blinds, allowing more gaps to appear and more sunlight to stream through.

To most early morning risers this would be the perfect beginning to a beautiful day, a picture perfect moment of peace and harmony.

To Naruto Uzumaki, it was torture.

The first thing that came the moment her mind returned from blissful unconsciousness was a searing headache, an explosion of pain which emitted a low, pained groan from the young maiden. This was followed by bloodshot eyes creeping open, at the exact same moment the wind blew at the blinds enough for a ray of sunshine to pierce the exposed iris. She groaned again and lifting her pillow with shaky hands placed it over her head to try and drown out the infuriatingly painful noise which was early morning birdsong.

God what had she been doing last night? Was she in a fight? Had she been hit really hard on the head? What the hell could bring about the pain she was now feeling?

It all came back to her, just the flash of memories eliciting another groan of pain as she curled up into a ball. It had been a night of celebration following their victory over Gato and his army of thugs on the bridge. The entire village had thrown a great feast in honour of their saviours; there was food, dancing, music...

And alcohol... lots and lots and lots of alcohol

Naruto didn't even remember how much she drank, first it was a small cup of sake from Tsunami, her timid protests of being a minor were ignored by the mother, who smiled and told her that one drink wouldn't do anything too bad. Naruto had a toast with Kakashi, Tsunami, Tazuna, Izaya, Shizuma, the village elders and the nobles who had recently pledged their continued support to the building of the bridge.

Tsunami was right; one drink hadn't really done much.

Then it all went straight to hell.

Damn that old man could drink, and she meant really, really drink. As for her... he kept _refilling _her damn cup. At one point she had just barely noticed that the colour of the drink being poured into her cup had changed colour from clear to amber before drinking it, placing it on the table and after a moment finding it miraculously refilled yet again.

What was worse was at some point the Bridge Builder had brought his ire upon Shizuma, challenging the manic swordsman to a drinking contest in a staggering and slurred fashion and like a fool the straw blonde Samurai had accepted it like he always did, with a deranged smile and a reply of agreeing to the challenge.

Her memories after that were hazy.

Deciding to give up the idea of sleeping it off Naruto opened her bloodshot eyes and rose up to a sitting position in bed.

That was a terrible idea.

The headache she had been nursing with increasing discomfort increased to a full blown migraine the second she was upright. Inexperienced with nursing a hangover the young woman did the first thing that came to mind, she cried out in pain and brought both hands to the side of her head, muttering curses which would make even experienced sailors blush.

Still uttering curses and promises to butcher someone she swung her legs over the side of the bed and attempted to stand. The increase in altitude only made it worse, now her head was spinning as she walked towards the door to the bedroom on increasingly shaky legs, swerving from side to side as her headache was added to with a stomach which was doing flips and an acid like feeling in the back of her throat.

She opened the door with a shaky hand and took an equally shaky step into the landing, eyes shut tightly as she attempted to ride out the newest feelings of pain and nausea. She needed a shower, a long shower with ice cold water, maybe that'll get rid of this horrid pain in her head. Her second step hit something and she fell forward, pure warrior instinct was all that saved her from colliding headfirst with the wall at the other side of the landing, hands shooting out to stop her fall.

She forced her eyes open and looked down.

Shizuma was lying on his stomach, snoring loudly with an empty sake bottle held in an outstretched right hand.

Naruto righted herself with effort, giving her manic elder a light kick in the shoulder for measure as she stumbled down the corridor towards the bathroom. The near fall had not done anything good for her now swirling stomach, if anything it made it worse.

She didn't miss the bodies strewn across the landing, Izaya was lying in an uncomfortable position halfway up the stairs as she passed and Tazuna hadn't even made it to the stairs. She could just make out his feet in the opening leading to the kitchen. Naruto caught a whiff of breakfast, but that just made the nausea worse, the back of her throat was burning now.

She threw open the bathroom door, dived into the bathroom and to the toilet where she then proceeded to release the confines of everything she had drank last night. It was a horrid, horrid experience and as the convulsions finally ceased the young Samurai promised to never, ever drink alcohol ever again.

The shower had helped, and after a few moments she half staggered down the stairs, fully dressed but still nursing a headache which she swore could kill as she just managed to make her way into the kitchen and collapse into a chair. Tsunami was waiting for her, placing a full breakfast before her alongside an oddly coloured drink she could not recognise.

"_That _is a little hangover remedy I picked up," the young mother said as she pulled back her sleeves and picked up the glass. "This has to go down in one go so just do what I say... pinch your nose... good, now raise your head, higher, there we go... now when I pour just swallow."

She poured, and Naruto swallowed, making a disgusted noise as the contents of the glass passed through her mouth. It was an awful experience, made worse by the acidic taste she still held in the back of her throat from her earlier reunion with the toilet.

"Feel better?" Tsunami asked as she walked back to the sink.

Naruto put her head on the table's surface, replying to the well meaning question in a pitiful voice, "No."

"Give it a few minutes. It'll kick in soon enough." Tsunami said easily as she rinsed out the glass and placed it on the draining board.

After a few minutes the young femme raised her head, seeing that she wasn't the only one at the table. Kiba, Sasuke and Sakura were sitting on the other three chairs, looking at her with a mixture of pity and interest. She noticed Kakashi sitting on the windowsill across from them, attempting to read his book while nursing a hangover himself.

"At least you took your liquor better than those three," Tsunami consoled as she placed a cup of steaming hot tea on the table alongside her breakfast. "You at least made it too your bed. That is quite an achievement if you drank nearly half as much as I think you did."

"Thank you," Naruto muttered with a painful groan, hand massaging her forehead.

"You did better than sensei, just so you know." Kiba added with a grin.

"How come," Naruto asked, feeling the hangover cure she received from Tsunami beginning to take effect, if slowly.

"He didn't make it past the porch," Kiba sniggered, drawing a glare from his teacher.

Naruto didn't seem to really care though, just grunting in response before her head collided with the table with a painful thump, loud enough for the other five conscious members of the household to wince in sympathy.

"Never again," she managed after a moment.

"Sorry, Naruto," Tsunami asked worriedly.

She raised her head, fire in her eyes. "I will never drink ever again."

"You have more sense than most adults anyway," Tsunami allowed as she dried her hands on a small kitchen towel and leaned against the unit frame as she turned around. "That drink I fed you will help, but I do not recommend doing any training today, or tomorrow."

"Why not?" Naruto asked, looking up at Tsunami with a pout. The cure she had been given was definitely starting to work. The colossal pain in her head was slowly dying down to a dull ache, though she guessed that was still a few minutes away.

"You'll only make it worse, and you still have injuries to heal from," the young mother replied sagely as she spoke, raising a single finger for emphasis as she spoke. "I was actually against you drinking at all, but the doctor said that you were through the worst of it and a _few _drinks wouldn't hurt your recovery."

Naruto looked sulky for a long moment, before sighing and shaking her head. "Okay, okay I'll do it."

"Good girl," Tsunami replied. "Now go to the sofa and lie down for a while, it'll do you wonders."

Naruto nodded, got to her feet and managed to look more dignified than when she came in as she walked the short distance between the kitchen table to the living room sofa, which she proceeded to belly flop onto with a groan as she struggled to relax even under the numb headache she was still going through.

Kakashi waited until he felt her chakra signature weaken; letting him know that despite her hangover she was able to fall to sleep on the sofa before turning his attention to Tsunami, who hesitated for a moment before looking back at him.

"You didn't tell her that the ice Ninja was waiting for her," Kakashi said simply.

Tsunami sighed, "Do you really think she'll make it to the meeting place at this point, and do you think I'll let her go to see a former enemy?"

"We'll be with her the entire time," Kakashi responded with a sigh. "I already told you I'd be there the entire time."

Tsunami hesitated for a moment, "Let her rest for a while at least before telling her that he's ready to answer her."

Kakashi hesitated, eyes studying Tsunami for a long moment before uttering a quiet sigh and nodding. The three Genin looked too and froe between the two adults, Sakura slightly confused but Kiba and Sasuke knew who they were talking about quite well. The boy who defeated them on the bridge, the one Naruto allowed to live, who had taken up a bed in the local medical clinic until just this morning when he had been reported as vanished. The conclusion to their battle was humiliating; a young Shinobi not much older than him had defeated him so effortlessly. If his sister and mother ever found out about this they would hound him to no end, and that made him grit his teeth in annoyance.

Kiba growled low in his throat, remembering the Ninja who had toyed with them so effortlessly and continued on to fight Naruto in close quarters. Sasuke remembered the events just as well, reminded of two events in particular, one was him being bested by a Ninja only a few years older than him, after he had spent so long preparing himself for battle he found himself defeated by someone he hadn't even heard of until that moment, it was humiliating.

The other memory weighing on his mind was him, jumping in front of a storm of senbon to protect the girl lying semi-comatose on the sofa in the other room, mind questioning the another factor. Why did he move to protect her, how was he even able to move at all? It made Sasuke ground his teeth in slight agitation. Why had he tried to protect her, jeopardise his ultimate goal of facing the one who killed his clan and delivering his revenge. He almost blew it to save this girl whom he had only known for a few weeks.

It confused him.

It infuriated him, both aimed at Naruto and himself.

Sakura frowned as she looked at the two boys and their deep in thought expressions before turning to Kakashi-sensei to look for answers.

She was too late.

Kakashi had already vanished from the windowsill. This made Sakura frown in even deeper thought. What had happened during that battle on the bridge? Her own memory of it was simply her in a deep fog, trying to keep the bridge builder away from the fighting.

* * *

Haku was a very patient person. In the line of work he was in it was a necessity to be patient. He waited in one of the nearest clearings in the deep forest, not far away from the place where he and Naruto first met, seated on an old tree stump which was once a tree as towering as those around him.

The young ice Ninja sat in his chosen place, leaning back slightly as he listened to the chorus of birds and felt the light breeze of the midday wind. He was an unmoving object, part of the scenery as he waited.

As he waited, he thought.

Was this choice he was about to undertake the right thing, or was it better to do the opposite. He did not know the answer, and if anything else he would rather end his life now than continue on with a life of no purpose. He had, for the longest time, sat upright in bed, eyes looking dully at the knife she had left behind. More than once he had reached over for it, thinking he knew what he wanted to do with it, but then her face would flash across his mind, her words would echo.

His cheek still felt the sting of the slap.

"_Do you really think life is so worthless that you would just throw it away like that!?"_

"_What difference is it to you!? I no longer have a purpose!" Haku roared back ignoring the pain he was feeling from his injuries. Why did he even try to make this girl understand, why was he trying to convince her? "My master is dead, do you hear me, dead! My purpose here is spent, better to end it now than live a worthless-"_

"_Then join me!"_

_Haku's words died in his throat as he looked up at the girls steely blue eyes, his own mind taking several moments to digest her words. "What?"_

"_Join me, if you can't live without someone to serve then serve me, join and travel with me in Zabuza's stead," Naruto said, the words obviously not sitting right with her yet she said them all the same. "Maybe if I can keep you alive long enough I can rid you of this mindset, but until then travel with me, call me master if you want, help and protect me as I reach my goals... just... just-"_

_Something splashed against his cheek, and it took Haku a moment to realise that it was a tear. He looked up to see water streaming down Naruto's face as she continued to look down at him. "Just don't die, Haku, don't give up on life that easily, travel with me, and learn that life means more than that!"_

The memory made him fell dirty. It took him a while, but he finally realised that familiar look in her eyes, one of someone who had been through roughly what he had been through. Had there been a time when she had thought of doing what he was about to do, to end her own life?

"_I don't remember much of my life before Sensei found me. Maybe I forced myself to forget, all I know is that I was alone, afraid, scared, terrified of my own shadow. I remember seeing scathing glares, like those of a mass murderer receives when he is sentenced, and I could never understand why. I ran, I left that place, I remember forest, dirt paths, collapsing from hunger and thirst, believing that I was going to die."_

Haku sighed, raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face. The sound of hand meeting cheek echoed through the small clearing, and Haku winced at the stinging sensation before bringing his hands back down to his sides.

There he continued to wait.

He wasn't aware of how long he waited, but by the time he felt her chakra signature it was nearing sunset. He raised his head just as she entered the clearing, garbed not in her orange kimono but in a simpler hakama and pants of navy blue. He guessed she wouldn't be wearing her favourite colour considering how badly ripped and torn it was in the battle almost half a week ago.

Her katana was still at her hip, sheathed and held in place by a white obi sash. She made no move for the hilt, nor did she tense up in any way as she approached him. Naruto continued to walk until she was maybe five steps away, then stopped, and waited.

It was a few minutes before Haku spoke up, "I should hate you."

"I know," Naruto replied as she sat down cross-legged before him, taking her sheathed katana from the sash and placing it before her. A sign of the Samurai that she did not wish to fight, did not wish to fight him. It was a symbol of coming in peace.

"I should hate you," Haku repeated, looking down at his hands. "You were one of those who helped kill Zabuza-sama, my teacher and my master. But I cannot hate you. I can't find it in myself too."

Naruto did not speak. She simple sat where she was, head bowed, waiting for him to continue. In this position all Haku needed to do was draw a senbon needle and plunge it into her neck, severing the artery there and allow her to bleed to death. Yet he couldn't even find the strength to reach for the weapon.

Haku sighed as he rose from his sitting position, looking down at Naruto for a long moment before sighing in defeat and sitting down, mirroring the same cross-legged position as the blonde haired girl across from him. He looked up, seeing her eyes looking right back at him.

"I will go with you," Haku said at last, looking up to meet her azure eyes, marvelling at how bright they became at hearing those words. "Perhaps I can find a new purpose, travelling with you... as your Retainer."

Naruto's smile morphed into a slight frown, "Retainer?"

"It is what high ranking Samurai have, don't they?" Haku asked simply. "All strong and influential Samurai have Retainers, companions who protect and fight alongside them."

"I would rather have a friend than a servant," Naruto interjected, obviously feeling quite strongly about it.

"But we don't know each other well enough to be considered friends, until then I will be your Retainer. I will swear to protect you and follow you until you no longer have a need of me, this I swear upon my status as a Shinobi." Haku said as he stood up and walked past her, continuing on until the edge of the clearing where he waited. "Naruto-sama?"

"Better than nothing I suppose," Naruto muttered to herself with a sigh as she rose to her feet, reaching out to take her katana and place it back in her obi sash as she walked to where Haku was waiting. "If you must insist on being my Retainer then I have a few stipulations of my own."

"Yes, Naruto-sama?"

"My first stipulation is to _not _call me Naruto-sama," she replied in slight annoyance, pointing to her chest with her right thumb.

"Then what should I call you?"

"Plain old Naruto will do," she replied stalwartly, defiantly as she came within a stride of him and stared long and hard.

"This I cannot do, Naruto-sama."

"I insist," she shot back quickly.

"No, _I _insist," Haku countered calmly. "Maybe in private I will call you Naruto, but in public before clients and those of import I will address you by your proper title."

"_Please_... don't," Naruto pleaded.

She saw a small smile curl up Haku's mouth as he turned to lead her out of the forest, and as the blonde haired Samurai followed she could swear he was enjoying her discomfort at the turn of events. Naruto pouted, watching as Haku's form slowly dimmed as he walked into the enshrouded forest before moving to catch up.

It was a start, at least.

A small victory for her, even though he had evened it out in her eyes by becoming her self-proclaimed Retainer instead of a friend and travelling companion. She supposed it was the best she could expect, at least for the moment. Even with the less than perfect situation Naruto couldn't help but crack a small smile at the irony of the new situation.

A fully trained Ninja as a Samurai's Retainer...

It was actually kind of funny.

* * *

Ninja and Samurai exited the forest to find that Kakashi was already waiting for them, leaning against a house by the white sanded beach, looking at them over the orange cover of his favourite reading material. Haku was immediately edgy, but Naruto only smiled at the silver haired Jōnin as they approached, raising her hand in greeting.

"Yo, Kakashi-sanpai," she greeted.

"So," Kakashi began as he slid his book back into its pocket and straightened himself from his leaning position and approached. "I take it the meeting went well."

"I am now Naruto-sama's Retainer," Haku said in way of reply, still obviously tense, ignoring Naruto's sour face at the word _Retainer_.

Kakashi looked at Haku for a long moment before turning his attention back to Naruto, one visible eye curling up as he smiled, "Not exactly how you wished it to go I take it?"

Naruto sighed and shrugged, "Right now I'd consider it middle-ground."

"I'll bet," Kakashi seemed to really be enjoying the predicament, much to the young Samurai's ire. "There is something I need to talk to you about, right now, something quite urgent and very important."

Naruto frowned at him, but after a moment nodded her head. "What is it?"

"Not here," Kakashi replied, turning his head in the direction of the vast lake surrounded by worn houses and forest. "Out there, it is too important for a stranger's ear to hear."

Naruto hesitated, noticing Haku closing in protectively, but a look from her stopped him in his tracks. Only becoming her guardian mere moments ago yet he was already acting the part. The two of them stood there for a long moment, each daring the other to challenge their will, but eventually Haku bowed his head and relented, backing up a few steps. "I obey."

"Stop doing that," Naruto murmured as she stepped forward towards Kakashi and nodded her head, Ninja and Samurai then turned as one and began walking down the beach, both pumping miniscule amounts of chakra into the soles of their feet as sand made way too water and the two continued on, walking side by side until they came to the very epicentre of the vast lake. Haku remained behind, waiting at the shore.

Naruto turned hesitantly to face Kakashi, both studying each other for a moment which seemed to the young Samurai to be an eternity. "What If I told you that I know something of your heritage, were you were born and where you come from, what would you say?"

Naruto hesitated for a moment, a long moment, visibly unsure as she mulled over what the silver haired Shinobi had said. Kakashi could see it in her movements, in the way her eyes seemed more interested in the ground than in him. "I don't what I would say, or if I would even want to know to be honest."

"I see," Kakashi said heavily, bowing his head to her much to her surprise. "You're name is indeed Naruto Uzumaki, and you were born in Konoha... you were born the very same night as the-"

"Demon Fox, the Nine Tailed Beast rampaged through the village, killing hundreds of innocent people and Shinobi until he was finally defeated thanks to the noble sacrifice of the Fourth Hokage, sealing the monster inside the body of a newborn child." Naruto finished, looking up at Kakashi with slightly haunted eyes. "I know the story, Kakashi-senpai... sensei held nothing from me that he knew and he told me this not long after he gave me this sword."

"You know?"

"I do."

"I suppose you wouldn't want to return to the village with such bad memories as you have," Kakashi sighed, scratching the back of his head for a long moment before reaching into another pocket in his flak vest, taking out another item, this time a scroll, kept in place by a seal coloured red with the symbol of a fluttering leaf, symbol of the Hidden Village of Konoha.

The Copy-nin removed the seal and reaching out to her with a right hand, the other in his pocket, as he offered Naruto the scroll. "This is an invitation by the Hokage, strongest and wisest Ninja in the village. He knew you and tried to protect you since you were a newborn... you're disappearance has weighed heavily on his heart ever since you vanished."

Naruto hesitated for a moment, before reaching out to take the scroll and open it in a smooth motion, reading through the message within slowly and carefully, taking in every detail, reading every word once, twice, three times to gain every detail before looking up at Kakashi for a long moment.

The Shinobi shrugged at her long gaze, "The decision is yours. We will not force you to make it."

Naruto was silent for a long moment, digesting what she had just read several times until she had memorized every word. The silence was broken as she spoke, in a low and slightly unsteady voice as she rolled up the scroll and hide it in her borrowed kimono. "I... I need time."

"I see," Kakashi replied with a nod of his head, placing a hand on her shoulder with an affectionate squeeze. "You do not need to answer to me, and there are still at least six months before the time the Hokage has asked, it would be best for you to think before making any decisions."

Naruto seemed deep in thought for a long moment, before finally nodding in agreement.

* * *

Kakashi sighed as he walked along the pier, a haphazard line of wooden houses and gardens to his left, circling around the great lake of water to his right. He had led Naruto and Haku back to the house and allowed them to enter, informing them that he needed to take a small stroll to think as they departed.

He continued walking until he came to the edge of the line of structures, deep forest was all that stood ahead, looking around before reaching up to take the small orange backed book from his flak vest pocket.

He looked down at the worn leather of his favourite reading material, before opening it to the point where it was marked by a small slip of paper. He took out the paper and closed the book, placing it back into his jacket before opening the letter and reading through its contents one last time.

The contents of the letter confused Kakashi when he first read them, upon hearing on the survival of the only child of the legendary Yellow Flash he had expected an immediate recovery order from the old man, instead he got this alongside the letter of invitation, what he had just given to the young child of his late sensei.

He remembered the time when the child had vanished, remembered that the Hokage had lost just as much sleep as him in searching for her during those early days of fear and uncertainty.

Now that they had finally found her he had expected the Hokage to send him orders to bring her back to the village immediately, by force if necessary. This was something he had not expected, but it was still a welcome alternative.

An invitation to come to Konoha instead of a squad of Shinobi to force her back was a better option in his opinion. Better for the girl to come of her own free will and make her own decisions rather than to force her at the point of a kunai. It was better, and left less chance of Naruto resisting and fighting back, and worse still having her allies come for her. Kakashi knew that as strong as Izaya and Shizuma were they weren't the only ones who would come to an ally's aide.

The old man had made his decision.

Kakashi only hoped it was the right decision to make in the long run.

"We will see, I suppose," the silver haired Jōnin muttered as he burned the small letter with a flare of his chakra. "The invitation has been sent, it is up to her now."

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **__Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto, as well as a long line of distributors, producers, anime, manga and dubbing firms. I am only using the setting and characters for my own piece of non-profit fanfiction._

_**Author's Note 2: **__So there you have it, an underutilised idea of how Konoha were going to reach out to Naruto. I decided to go with an invitation rather than attempting to bring her in by force, it's too overused and seems very risky for a Ninja Village to attempt, especially if they don't know the factors behind her allies identities, for all they know she could be an agent of a country, let alone a member of a group. I also plan on having the Hokage as the dominate power in the village, rather than have a council going behind his back over every little detail (Again, another overused plot device in Naruto fanfiction). If there is going to be a council it will be in an advisory capacity only, like what it seems to be in the original storyline._

_**Author's Note 3: **__As for Haku, yeah, he is officially Naruto's self-proclaimed Retainer. I think it would be a position he would choose, considering his mindset, that and a Samurai with a Ninja Retainer in the setting of Naruto seems kind of funny to me._

_**Author's Note 4: **And finally to my loyal anonymous reader, Fighting Joe (Can't believe I've said the words Loyal and Anonymous in the same sentence(on another note thanks to the rest of you anons as well, returning my faith into the anonymous reviewer)), on the update to TGLU... (Taking a deep breath) A new chapter is almost ready, expect an update in the next few days, but in future instead of slapping pleas onto review panels for my other stories use private messaging instead, pretty please man. I get that you love that story and I will admit it was an interesting way in getting my attention, but PM's work just as well.  
_


	11. Epilogue

_**Chapter 10**_

_**Epilogue**_

A week seemed to fly by in no time at all.

Sasuke waited, sitting on the rooftop of the bridge builder's house, surveying the scenery around him. His wounds had mostly healed from their battle on the bridge and while not combat ready yet he was at least able to move around. He had volunteered to take over the role as sentry away from the Samurai pair, mainly to think but also to wait.

He had business with Naruto. When he awoke he had heard that she had already moved on. It was her turn to watch over the bridge today, and both she and the bridge builder had gone out early before he awoke.

The Uchiha closed his eyes and thought.

Here he believed that he was slowly closing in on his brother, and now all of that had come crashing down with his recent defeat. What he was doing wasn't enough. He needed to try something else rather than basic Ninja arts and those Uchiha techniques he could learn on his own. He needed something different, something that Itachi wasn't trained properly in handling.

His memories returned to that battle he witnessed, of Naruto's fluid motions and the delicate, graceful weavings of her sword as she intercepted volley after volley of bladed weapons. He had thought on her ever since he awoke on the bridge at the battles end.

What did he lack that she possessed?

He opened his eyes, feeling the chakra signatures of the bridge builder and his guards approach. He looked over, Sharingan activating to give himself a better view. It was still imperfect, but for such simple tasks it would suffice. He saw the bridge builder joking around with Naruto, her new Retainer by her side, a few steps behind and too her right.

When they were approaching the area around the house he stood and stepped off of the edge of the roof, falling to the ground and landing in a crouch with a little help from his chakra circulatory system. His sudden arrival stopped the trio in their tracks, looking at him quizzically, or in the ice Ninja's case guardedly.

His eyes met and held those of his opponent. The first to defeat him in an actual combat situation, and saw twin pools of dark orbs looking right back at him with a detached interest, almost as if daring him to make an aggressive move. Sasuke's blood burned at seeing him, yet he took a shallow breath and regained control of his emotions.

He pointed at Naruto, who tilted her head to the side quizzically. "I need to speak with you."

"O-kay," she replied hesitantly.

Tazuna sighed as he stepped past Sasuke, "I'm getting tired of these Shinobi coming out of freaking nowhere!"

The three warriors of the group ignored the Bridge Builder as he walked up his homes porch and disappeared through the front door. For a time after that there was still silence. Then Sasuke took a breath and looked up at Naruto.

"Teach me how to use a sword."

Naruto blinked a little in surprise, "What?"

"I want to learn how to use a sword," Sasuke replied, folding his arms and giving her a stern look.

Naruto managed to crack a small smile after a moment, "A Ninja using a sword?"

"Why not," Sasuke replied easily, a small smirk crossing his features. "You remember what I said during the battle don't you? There's someone I have to meet, someone I have to kill. I want every advantage presented to me when the time comes, and learning something he doesn't know may help me."

"Learning the ways of the sword isn't some part-time thing, Ninja," Naruto replied sternly, surely. "It is an art which takes decades to perfect. I am nowhere near the level of a master like Sensei, or anyone else at Seieibushi or above."

"I just want the basics," Sasuke replied, smirk turning into a scowl. "I will learn from there."

Naruto's azure eyes met Sasuke's for a moment, a long moment, before finally relenting; "Haku?"

"Yes, Naruto-sama?"

"May I have _that _scroll please?"

Haku hesitated for a moment, then reached inside his kimono and took out a small scroll, slightly longer than those Sasuke was used too, with a seal enclosed around it, a symbol of two swords locked together in combat displayed. Naruto took the scroll from her Retainer, untied the seal and opening it with a flourish, placing the opened scroll on the ground.

It didn't take long for Sasuke to realise that it was a storage scroll.

He noticed a mass of seals on the paper, all sealed kanji for weapons. He recognised the ancient wording for at least a half dozen different weapons printed out in black ink on the papers surface, as well as the symbols for others he was not familiar with. Naruto's eyes scanned the surface, finally finding the seal she was looking for with a smirk. She placed her hand on the seal, concentrated and with a puff of smoke brought the chosen weapon into the real world.

It was a katana, not nearly as well crafted as the one she kept at her hip. It was actually pretty basic. A black scabbard enclosed the blade with an equally black guard and a hilt covered in white cloth, a hole was carved into the guard, a white ribbon through it and through a small rounded handle on the sheathe, tying the two together.

She took the weapon in one hand, and presented it to him. "This is a basic Katana, given to trainees in the Samurai way."

Sasuke took the sheathed weapon from her hand, looking at it for a long moment before moving to untie the ribbon keeping sheathe and blade together. In a flash a hand caught his wrist before he could reach the ribbon, holding him in place with an iron grip. The Uchiha looked up, startled and annoyed to be met with the steely gaze of the Samurai. "That ribbon is a mark of your status. It will not be removed until I say it can be removed."

"When can it be removed?" Sasuke asked, eyes narrowing.

"When I see that you can use that sword without hurting yourself," Naruto shot back, loosening her hold on his wrist before removing her hand completely. "One of the greatest lessons a Samurai must learn is restraint, and the ability to know when to fight."

"I am not a Samurai," Sasuke growled.

"No, but you will follow the creed of your teacher," Naruto replied simply. "That is the only reason I am granting you permission to use this sword. I have every intention of taking it back once I consider your basic training under me to be complete."

"Why is that?"

"It is the first real sword I ever used, holds a sentimental value to it. I will never part with it, at least not for long." Naruto replied as she circled him, the air had been steadily becoming heavier since she began to speak, subconsciously Sasuke felt like he was being tested. "I will be training you in the basic arts for the next few weeks until this mission is completely accomplished, I will be asking Kakashi-senpai for permission to do so. Once I consider you to be ready I will be taking this sword back and you can strike out to find your own blade, until then we will have to make do with this."

Sasuke looked down at the sword for a long moment, then right back at Naruto, seeing a lack of any nervousness in her eyes.

"Do you accept?"

"I accept," Sasuke replied after a moment of hesitation.

"Good," Naruto chirped, walking past his slightly surprised form. The tension which prevailed so much before had dissipated. "Then follow me, and we'll begin."

* * *

It was late evening, work had finished for the day and everyone involved in the construction of the bridge had since returned to their homes to be with their families, receive a home cooked dinner and get a good night's sleep.

Ever since Gatou and his heavy shadow had been lifted work on the bridge had continued unopposed and was actually ahead of schedule, the damage done during the battle had been mostly repaired and more and more people were volunteering to help anyway they could. The once undermanned labour force was now at full strength, money and materiel was pouring in from what money the people of the small country could give, from the middle-classes all the way up to the nobles, there were even women coming around during the lunch breaks with cooked meals for the work crews and guards.

At the moment though such thoughts were mere memories of what happened during the day and a promise of the day to come. In the house around a table were a small group of teenagers, each holding a small flurry of playing cards, each one trying to keep their faces as emotionless as possible with varying levels of success.

Naruto pushed back a lock of recently washed hair behind her ear as she studied the cards in her hand and compared them to the five cards lying face up on the table. She had a three and four of clubs, there was a two of hearts, a five and six of diamonds, a king of clubs and an ace of spades. She was currently sitting on a straight, not a bad hand, but what did the others have?

Sasuke, Kiba, Sakura and Izaya were the other players on the table, originally Tazuna and Shizuma had also been playing, but the old bridge builder had an early day and reeked of his favourite blend of Sake, so Tsunami sent him to his bed with most of his money still in his pocket. Shizuma was another matter entirely, currently swearing up a storm on the front porch because he lost all of his money about three sets ago.

Kiba was as easy to read as an open book, poker face was a foreign term for the Inuzuka who was wearing a predatory smile. Naruto guessed he must have had a pretty good hand, and there were about five additional hands above her straight. Sakura was a little better, but the furrowed brow and the focused eyes told Naruto she didn't have as good a hand as she was comfortable with, would probably fold in the next turn. Sasuke and Izaya had the perfect poker faces, completely unreadable and giving almost nothing away, they could have nothing, or a royal flush for all the Uzumaki wanderer knew.

Sakura sighed as her turn came and with one last look at her assembled cards she tossed them onto the tabletop, forfeiting. Naruto took a look, seeing that she had nothing, before turning back to the other three members of the game, Kiba threw a few chips onto the pot, which Sasuke, Izaya then Naruto matched after a few brief moments of hesitation before he called it.

He laid his cards onto the table, and Naruto couldn't help but crack a small smile, a three of a kind, two sixes were in his hand and the other six sitting on the surface, common winning hand, but not this time. Naruto kept her smile in place when Sasuke set his cards on the table, revealing nothing more than a pair of fives, then it was Izaya's turn and the smile left Naruto's face with a groan.

He had four of a kind.

Naruto sighed as she put her hand down, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms as she glared at the elder Samurai who reached over and pushed his winnings to him in a lazy gesture with an infuriatingly coy smile. His pile was by far the biggest, but hers wasn't too bad either, both of them had come out with more money than they went in with, Sasuke had come out with almost as much as he started with, give or take a few notes, Kiba and Sakura were lucky to get away with a quarter of their money, but at least they weren't broke.

"Another game, folks?" Izaya asked casually.

"Nope," Sakura said immediately.

"Not a chance," Kiba added solemnly.

"Hn," was all Sasuke uttered as he rose from the table, signalling that he too had decided to end the game. He staggered a little bit as he left the chair, the training session from before obviously leaving him a little worse for wear, Naruto smiled at that, it was kind of therapeutic, having a living punching bag... or should she say slashing post?

"Don't forget Sasuke, up at dawn." She chided at his retreating back.

Sasuke went stiff for a moment, like a cat caught by surprise, but nodded his head and continued on towards the stairs without turning around. Naruto wanted to laugh, really she did, but managed to simmer it down to a low giggle which she hoped didn't catch anyone's attention.

Izaya eyed her for a moment, a small smile of his own in place. "You're giving you're new student a real whipping."

Naruto pouted at him, leaning back her head and closing her eyes. "It nothing compared to what Sensei put us through, and besides he told me not to hold back."

Izaya bit back a chuckle as he rose to his feet and collected his Ryu notes, seemingly taking a kind of pleasure in the crestfallen looks the two young Ninja were casting as the money which was once theirs was scooped away. Naruto hesitated for a moment, sighing as she reached over and scooped up her smaller, but still substantial pile from the table. The money should keep her and Haku going on their travels for a time longer, once this job was over and the bridge was built.

She absently looked up at the roof, knowing that her new self-appointed Retainer was currently perched on the rooftop, obviously uncomfortable with being in the same house as the family he had been contracted to kill a month before. She knew that the feeling of discomfort was also felt by Tazuna, Tsunami and Inari as well for the same reason in reverse. None of them said anything about it, but it was there.

Naruto sighed again, before catching herself and frowning instead. Damn she was doing a lot of sighing these last few weeks. Sakura and Kiba were already filing out of the kitchen, looking as dejected as a couple of kicked puppies, Izaya was looking at Naruto, and after a moment he gave his head a shake and approached, giving her a slap on the back which made her stumble a step.

Naruto regained her footing quickly, spinning around to level a glare upon the elder Samurai, only to have the black haired man raise his hands in surrender. "You need to speak with him, set up the ground rules if you would, but you need to speak with him."

Naruto huffed, turning her back to him and folding her arms. "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh but you do." Izaya rebuked with another shake of his head. "There is a tension between you two, and if you're going to travel and fight together then you need to sort these things out before hitting the road. Trust is something of the greatest of importance when it comes to travelling companions... and more so with friends."

"Didn't you hear?" Naruto asked, shooting him an irritated look which dripped off her tone as she spoke. "He's not my friend, he's my _Retainer_."

She hated that word. It was a word one used for someone they considered beneath them, an expendable pawn in a game of chess, a slave to a master, something which could be used, abused and discarded without a second thought.

Naruto hated that word.

Izaya was right. There had been tenseness between them since he declared himself her Retainer a week ago. She walked towards the back door, opening it wordlessly and stepped out into the chilly air, before she closed the door she looked at her elder Samurai. "Iza-nii, thanks."

Izaya cracked a lopsided grin, "Get moving."

The door closed, Naruto hopped onto the railing to the porch and with a small concentration of chakra jumped high, bypassing the house and landing easily on the roof. She looked up at the spine of the structure, and saw him sitting on the edge, looking out over the still black surface of the lake partially lit by a full moon. Naruto studied him for a long moment, steeling herself and silencing her worries before she began her approach to her self-proclaimed Retainer.

She sat down beside him, noticing a lack of any response to her presence. The Ice wielder simply remained seated, looking out at the scene before them with a cold detachment, not even noticing her for the longest moment until she reached out and tugged at the sleeve of his kimono. In a flurry he acted on instinct, a senbon appearing in his hand and lashing out in her direction, only to be intercepted smoothly as Naruto half drew her katana, a clang signalling the clash of metal against metal.

His eyes narrowed, and then widened in surprise which quickly turned to shame. He withdrew his needle, and in a flurry it disappeared back up his billowing sleeve. He then shuffled to his feet, uttering apologies in a hoarse whisper before turning to leave.

A hand gripped onto the hem of his kimono, stopping him from moving further.

Haku looked down, startled to see that it was his new masters hand, yet she continued to look out over the darkness of the lake, a quick tug made her wish for him to stay clear and hesitantly the boy did so, watching as she rose to her feet, sheathing her katana again with a click. The light of the moon caught her hair, giving an ethereal quality to her natural beauty.

She spoke, a soft whisper. "Tell me about Zabuza Momoichi."

Haku hesitated, guarded and suspicious. "Why do you want to know?"

"I want to learn more about the man who had your undying loyalty," she replied with a shrug. "I want to understand him... and you, Haku."

Haku starred at her for the longest moment, trying to find some sense of what his new master's objective was in knowing this information. Eventually he sighed and sat down, Naruto doing the same. There was silence for a moment, yet the Samurai did not break it. She allowed her new self-appointed Retainer to gather himself, his thoughts and feelings, before he began to speak.

"Zabuza Momoichi," Haku began, looking up at the full moon. He began to speak, and Naruto listened. They continued like that well into the night, Haku speaking about the man who saved him, gave him a purpose, and his new master listening intently.

* * *

The weeks passed, and the bridge seemed to be finished in the blink of an eye.

"We can't thank you enough," Tsunami said with a warm smile as she looked upon the Ninja and Samurai before her, preparing to leave on their different paths. "If it wasn't for you, all of you, we would have never had this one chance, thank you."

The group took the praise in their own ways, mostly with smiles and assurances that it was the right thing to do. The Genin were grinning broadly, except for Sasuke who tried to look nonchalant and was edging a little to the failing side. Kakashi smiled one of his now infamous eye-smiles, while Izaya bowed respectfully and Shizuma laughed and boasted. Naruto walked straight up to Tsunami and hugged her, a motion which the older woman returned without hesitation.

"You know that you can stay for a while longer," the mother said with a sad smile. "I know Inari would love to have you stay for a while, and the villagers too."

"Nah," Naruto shook her head with a smile of her own. "I'm a wanderer at heart. It's time I continued on my way."

"Well," Tsunami replied with a motherly smile. "Just know that you will always be welcome here, and that goes for all of you as well. Any time you find yourselves in the area just know that you'll have a home here."

Kakashi nodded; the first to respond. "Thank you for the kind gesture."

"A kind gesture, but be careful," Izaya replied nonchalantly with a small smirk, using a thumb to point towards his travelling companion. "This moron will use that and eat you out of house and home."

"Say that again you little prick." Shizuma responded with a feral growl.

"With pleasure," Izaya responded with that same superior smirk in place. This was going to turn into a fight pretty fast.

Tsunami allowed a smile to cross her features as she leaned down to whisper into the young girl's ear, "Tell you're Retainer friend that as long as he behaves himself he'll be welcome here as well."

Naruto's smile turned into a grin, "I will."

The young Samurai's eyes wandered to a cliff edge, half a kilometre away from the bridge, the place where they had buried Zabuza and placed his sword as a marker. Haku was there right now, thinking, praying if he believed in such things as a higher power.

"My daughter is right," Tazuna responded with a big smile, proud to see that it was they're protectors who were the first to use the finished bridge between they're Small Island and the outside world. "You will all be welcome, any time you are nearby."

"Thank you," Kakashi replied with a nod and a smile. "But we best be on our way, mission is complete and Konoha will be looking for a full report."

Tazuna's grin didn't falter, "Tell your Hokage I'll be able to pay for the mission once trade returns to the Land of Waves, and that will be soon."

Kakashi bowed his head and turned, his three Genin following him, waving their goodbyes to the family they had protected as they crossed the bridge. Izaya and Shizuma continued on their way as well, leaving Naruto alone with the family and the few well wishers who had come to pay them farewell.

Naruto ruffled Inari's hair, which the boy replied with a grin and a chuckle. She leaned down, smiling herself as she spoke. "You've become strong, look after your mother and help your grandfather okay?"

"You bet," the boy barked in acknowledgement, slamming his arm against his chest to emphasise his point.

"You can still stay you know," Tunami fussed as she looked over the younger woman. "Another week or two can't hurt."

Naruto laughed lightly and smirked as she looked up at her friend, "I am a wanderer at heart, never overstaying a welcome and it's just time for me to go. There are still plenty of places to travel too in the Elemental nations and I want to see the sights and fight the fights."

"Where will you go next?" Tazuna asked.

"North I think," Naruto replied after a moment's thought. "Into the Land of Lightning, then swing around into the Land of Earth. I've only wandered through the Lands of Fire and Wave; maybe take a detour into the Land of Water if I can. Who knows, there's still plenty of places to go, sights to see and people to meet."

Tsunami grinned at that, mirrored by Tazuna and his grandson. The three of them waved as Naruto turned to go, the Samurai waving back for a time before turning around fully to continue on her way. There was silence for a moment before Inari spoke to his grandfather.

"Hey grandpa, what should we call this bridge?" Inari asked.

"That is a good question," the old man replied with a thoughtful look, then a small smirk crossed his features as he looked down at his grandson; "How about the _Great Naruto Bridge_?"

"I like that," Inari replied with a wide grin.

"Yes," Tsunami added with certainty as she folded her arms and smiled, watching the retreating back of the girl who helped save their lives and their country. "I agree. It is the perfect name."

* * *

She found him at the edge of the cliff face, right where she had left him, looking down at the grave of his former master and teacher, looking at the sword which was dug into the earth as a grave marker for one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Bloody Mist.

Naruto continued walking until she stood right beside him, folding her arms into the sleeves of her new and improved orange kimono as she looked sideways at her new companion, her new Retainer, her new mystery. "Are you ready?"

Haku hesitated for a long moment, looking at the sword, then at the mound of dirt which signified his last teachers resting place. With a shuddering sigh he nodded his head, spun on his heel and continued on his way, keeping his head down to hide his emotions, yet Naruto could see the puffy red eyes clearly as day.

He made it five steps then stopped when he heard the unmistakable sounds of steel against dirt. Haku spun around in a flurry in time to see Naruto haul the huge word of his now dead master from its place as a grave marker and holding it up with great effort, using quite the bit of strength in keeping it uprigjt, examining the blade of the Kubikiribōchō with a critical eye.

"What are you doing?" Haku said in anger as he drew a trio of senbon needles from his billowing right sleeve.

Naruto ignored him; instead she reverently placed the blade on the ground and looked back at him with a stout determination, a lack of fear or intimidation, just determination. She then turned back to the blade and reached into her kimono, pulling out a scroll and opening it with a careful reverence. She placed the opened scroll on the ground, putting one hand on its surface while the other rested on the blade, words were spoken, too low in volume for the ice wielder to hear, then there was a puff of thick white smoke.

When it cleared the legendary Kubikiribōchō was gone, all that was left was the scroll which the Samurai rolled up and closed in a traditional fashion, as if she were sealing a hallowed scroll. Haku watched as she finished sealing the scroll and placed it back into the folds of her kimono before uttering a jumble of barely controlled words, masked by confusion and anger.

"What are you doing?"

Naruto looked at him for a long moment before answering. "I am keeping this weapon in reserve until the successor is ready."

"Who is the successor?" Haku asked bitingly.

Naruto looked right at him, unflinching, "You."

"Me?" Haku asked in obvious surprise and more than a little disbelief.

"Yes, you," Naruto replied as she stood up and walked until she was face to face with him, right within his comfort zone, making him obviously uncomfortable.

"I am unworthy."

"You are his apprentice." Naruto shot back with a glare of staunch determination. "Being his apprentice means that he saw you as not jut his student but also his successor, which means that this sword is yours by right."

Haku didn't say anything, he just glared at her.

Naruto sighed and walked past him, she walked for a few steps before stopping and turning around to face him. "I will give you this sword once _I _see you as worthy."

"And _how _will you deem me worthy?" Haku asked with scientism and borderline aggression. This wasn't right, no one was worthy of using that blade except for Zabuza-sama, not Naruto and certainly not him.

"I will deem you worthy once you learn to wield a blade of similar size and weight," Naruto replied as she tightened her grip on another scroll in the folds of her kimono and opened it with a flourish. She looked from symbol to symbol, ignoring Haku until she found what she was looking for.

She found it, and with a call of release she called upon another wave of almost unbreakable white smoke to bring her chosen item to the real world. When it cleared Naruto stood with a long blade held in her hands, a cleaver shaped blade of no obvious quality except that it was of equal size and mass to the legendary Kubikiribōchō, his former masters own blade.

"Take this," Naruto said with authority. "Learn how to wield and use it, and once I deem you ready you will be granted the use of the legendary sword."

Haku closed the gap slowly, taking the cleaver shaped sword in his hands and testing its weight with a grimace. It was heavier than he was used too, and he found it difficult to hold let alone fight with. He saw why Naruto didn't give him his former Kubikiribōchō right away, but he needed to check something, to see that his new master truly knew the quality of Zabuza-sama's weapon.

"Why not let me practise with the Kubikiribōchō?"

Naruto turned to face him, a small smile on her features as she spoke. "Because it's not the kind of weapon for novices in the art, it is off a special design and holds a special ability. That is why you will use a weaker sword until I and mine consider you worthy of utilising it. It may have been made by a non-Samurai sword master, but that does not denounce its quality or its danger in the hands of a novice."

Haku watched as she drew her sword and pointed it towards him, the blade shimmered in the morning light, and it shimmered unnaturally. "That sword is like _this _sword, and you are not ready to wield it, at least not yet. You don't have the experience, the muscle mass, the ability or the will to wield this weapon yet, not yet, not until I and this blade consider you worthy."

She sheathed the katana and looked him in the eye, "Believe me when I say this Haku. The most important thing in wielding such a sword is in the willpower to use it, once you have gained that I will give it to you, now come on, we have a long route ahead and you have a lot to learn."

Haku hesitated a moment before following behind his new master, mulling over her words as he watched her back. They made it the edge of the clearing before a new presence made himself known, the presence who killed his former master.

Kakashi Hatake.

Haku was immediately on edge, ready to fight and die against the killer of his former master, a hand on his shoulder stopped him and he looked up to see the merciless eyes of his _new _master. Her gaze was an order to stand down, and he hesitated a moment before bowing his head and relenting.

Naruto's merciless look relented with a nod as she walked to stand before Kakashi. The legendary Copy-Ninja waited until she was before him, allowing her to speak. "I thought you were reporting back to the village, Kakashi-Senpai?"

"The Hokage will be awaiting your answer," he replied after a long moment.

"I accept," she replied, too his well kept surprise. "I will meet with the Hokage of Konohagakure, but only on one condition."

"And that is?"

"I want another half dozen tickets," she replied, looking up at him with a small smirk. "Too the Chūnin exams I mean."

"I think I can convince him to get the additional tickets, though I would ask why you need the other tickets for." Kakashi asked, though there was a bit of a twinkle in his eyes.

"Well the first two are for Shizuma and Izaya, and the other four are for a few friends I know," Naruto replied, looking over her shoulder for a moment before looking back at the Ninja with a smile; "And one for Haku as well."

Kakashi studied her for a moment, "I'll see what I can do, should have them within a week, which reminds me where will you be within a week?"

"I'll be in the town of Shukuba," Naruto replied without a moments of hesitation; "In the Black Stallion Inn, and failing that the Red Canopy Inn."

Haku looked at Naruto even as Kakashi spoke the question he was thinking on, "I understand two of the tickets are for Izaya and Shizuma, but who are the other four for?"

"The girls," Naruto replied with a grin.

"The girls?" Kakashi asked, head tilting in mild interest.

"Yes, " Naruto nodded her head with a knowing smile; "The girl's."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__That is the first mini-story of the Wanderer completed. I hope you guys enjoyed the story and rest assured I will be continuing this after a few months of messing around with my Naruto/Star Wars cross-overs. I will also be sending a little message through here when I start up on the sequel to this first chapter, not sure on the name yet but rest assured that it will be continued._


	12. Author's Note

_**Naruto**_

_**The Wanderer**_

_**Author's Note**_

_**Author's Note: **__Just wanted to let you know that the next instalment of the Wanderer Saga; A Leaf in the Wind; has just been added onto my author page, have a read of it and tell me what you think. The next story will be a retake of the Chunin exams arc, with a different perspective._

_Anyway, have a read, tell me what you think and enjoy!_


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